Lovely Discovery
by L'Archel-Hotishi
Summary: Angela is mining one day when she splits open a mysterious rock and is hit with strange fumes that intensify her love for the man of her choice and turn her into a bold and daring woman at the sight of him. That would be great, except for that the man she wants to confess to just happens to be her best friend Owen. Owen x Angela. Fluff!
1. Realization on day one

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Angela x Owen

Rating: T (sexual situations)

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon's characters / plot belong to Natsume.

Author's Note: I'm trying to upload every other day during the summer, so if you have ideas for this story on what you'd like to see Owen and Angela do, submit them! If you have an idea, I'd love to work it in (especially ideas for this story)!

**-START-**

Finally. Angela had finally done it. She'd reached the top of Garmon Mine, and she hadn't needed anyone's help.

She was only one level away from tasting the fruits of her endeavor. Well, she wasn't after a literal award, but rather the praise a certain man would give her. Once Angela's crush found out that she'd reached the top all by herself, he would have no option but to be impressed with her. Owen was always so nice to her, but Angela always felt like he saw her as a delicate farmer and nothing more.

While she was certainly more delicate than she was, she felt like she'd taken another step to proving her strength and, more importantly, her determination.

"Wow, Angela!" Finn cried as she mounted the stairs to level forty-three of the upper mine. "We did it! I can't say I can relate to your motives, but it's still a grand accomplishment!"

"Yep!" Angela said gleefully, clenching her fists around her hammer. "I'm going to make so many expensive accessories! We have a lot of wedding presents coming up, and I wanted to give the girls gifts. And also…"

"And also?"

"Owen will be so amazed!" Angela tweeted anxiously. Finn sank to the ground.

"Do you really care about him that much? He already likes you, you know. You guys went on that date together to the Firefly Festival and he really enjoyed himself! Why do you think this will make him like you more?"

Angela stared ahead with sheer determination, not looking at Finn as she looked for the stone stairs that would take her higher into the sky. "Well…because he's works so hard as a miner all the time and he has so much strength. I want him to feel like he can depend on me."

Finn didn't say anything, but he did let a small smile bloom on his lips. Young love can be so sweet, he thought secretly as he followed Angela through the darkness of the mine.

"Alright…stairs…stairs…" Angela hummed, searching the area for the structure. "Geez, where could the stairs be? I've never had this much trouble. Normally they're in plain sight!"

"Why don't you mine a little bit before you go up?" Finn suggested as he gesticulated to a large boulder. "You can make your way around the room mining. You're sure to find the stairs eventually, and you might find some valuable ores!"

Angela thought that sounded like a good idea and began to break open the rocks one by one. Occasionally she would find a gold ore or a rare ore, but she mostly found poisonous fumes that either injured her or temporarily disoriented her. Finally, after having been hit multiple times (and dodging just as many) there was one more rock sitting right next to the stairs. Angela almost bolted up the steps with excitement when Finn called her back.

"Hey, aren't you going to mine this one? It's only one more!"

"But Finn…" she moaned in protest. "There's probably nothing in it. I've been hit my poison five times! I don't want to risk it."

"But it could be another expensive ore," he shot back. "Come on. You've already mined everything else. If it does have fumes in it, it'll be really easy to escape."

"I guess you're right…" she said slowly then, with her usual determination supporting her, she smiled optimistic ally and leaped down the stairs. "Alright! Let's do it!"

Angela gripped her hammer firmly and held it over her head. After charging her strongest move, the heavy tool felt upon the rock and sent it crumbling. Just as she'd suspected, fumes shot out almost instantly. Before she could even think, she began to run. "Uh-oh!"

Angela began to run while Finn darted off after her. However, unlike most fumes that went in a designated pattern, the cloudy gas seemed to fill up the entire area. There was a steady curtain of the substance fanning out in every direction. Because she'd already mined every rock, there was nothing to hide behind, and the fumes showed no sign of dispersing. They would have run up the stairs, but the structure had already vanished behind the smoky swirls. She wouldn't have been able to run through without suffering the effects of the fumes. Finn also noticed that they were a different color. It wasn't pink like confusion gas or red like poisonous gas, but it was almost a magenta color. How could they have never run into it before now? It must have been incredibly rare because, as much as Owen and Ramsey had talked with her about mining, they'd never mentioned anything concerning fuchsia fumes.

"Run, Angela!" the sprite squeaked in fear.

"I'm trying!" she screamed in panic, looking over her shoulder. When she saw how close they were, the farmer lost focus.

Angela tripped and felt the fumes roll over her body. For a few seconds, it was impossible to breathe. She tried to cover her face and stay low to the ground, but even that didn't work. Finn shot into the ceiling and covered his mouth with his hat. Fortunately, he was immune to the effects because he was similar to a Harvest Sprite and was somewhat divine in nature. After the fumes finally faded, he looked down and soared to Angela's side, trying to shake life back into her limp body. "Angela, Angela! Wake up! Angela!"

He smacked her cheeks over and over with his tiny arms until she gasped sharply. Managing to inhale shakily, the woman stood and cleared her throat. Her entire body was covered with dust, but otherwise, she seemed unharmed.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry! This is my fault! I shouldn't have convinced you to break open that rock!"

Angela giggled and shook her head. Between coughs, she found time to console him.

"It's alright…it wasn't your fault," Angela cooed sweetly. "See? I'm okay and I didn't get hurt. Don't worry. We're just lucky that nothing bad happened."

"Still…what was that stuff? Do you feel funny, Angela?"

"A little. My skin feels kinda tingly, but I'm okay. Do you know what that stuff was, Finn?"

"It was definitely a kind of gas, but I've never seen it before!" Finn said fretfully, not believing Angela's claim that she was alright. Fumes always did something to humans. It was either harmful or, in some cases, helpful. "Are…you sure you're okay?"

"I feel like something should be wrong with me, but I'm serious…I feel fine," Angela said with a yawn. "But…I do feel a little tired all of a sudden. It's also pretty late. Do you want to head home?"

They'd already come so far, but heading back to the farm was the safest thing for them to do. They descended the stairs together and made their way down to the surface. After Angela dumped her spoils into the shipping bin near the mine's entrance, the woman began to show more warning signs that she wasn't okay. Her cheeks were red and her posture was slightly hunched over, likes he was walking with a cramp in her stomach.

"F-Finn…" she said, shaking like a leaf. "I think…I may faint…"

The fairy blinked dumbly and buzzed around in panicked circled. He even tried to grip her arm and hold her but, but to no avail. Angela fell to the ground and began to rattle ferociously. Worst of all, it had gotten dark outside, and nobody was walking around. Everyone was probably in bed.

Finn was just about to fly over to the Harvest Goddess and ask her what to do when a masculine voice pierced the night air.

"Huh? Is someone there?" it asked, emerging from a nearby building. The voice belonged to none other than Angela's crush Owen who had thankfully been out later than usual. He was probably coming back from having a quick drink at the Brass Bar when he spotted them. Finn was never more elated that Owen enjoyed an occasional drink. His muscled form got closer to them and, when he realized that it was Angela who was passed out, the look of concern on his visage was amplified. "A-Angela? Angela! What happened? Can you hear me?"

She nodded her head, but no words came out.

"Gramps, Chloe!" Owen called over his shoulder. "Get some water and a bed ready! Angela just collapsed!"

The miner wasted no time. He scooped Angela into his arms and carried her bridal style to his room. He kicked open the door and rushed her to his bed. He put a hand to her forehead and compared it to his own temperature. She didn't have a fever, but her entire body was flushed. He especially noticed it in her cheeks. They were as red as roses. Chloe and Ramsey brought food and water and also said they'd called Doctor Jin and told him there was an emergency. He was on his way.

Owen kept a firm grasp on Angela's hand and didn't let go until Jin and Irene arrived to assist her. He was sent out of the room and they carried Angela to the clinic. Finn followed silently, looking back at Owen's face. It was a combination of dread and worry that made his heart sink.

Please be okay, Finn pleaded internally as he looked over her frail body.

XOXOXOXOXO

Angela woke up early the next morning and sat up in the hospital bed, not remembering anything. She looked towards the door and heard people talking on the other side. One voice belonged to Jin and the other was a voice that sent shivers up her spine. It was Owen's voice, and he sounded worried about her. Just was she was about to squeal over his concern, Finn materialized before her and pushed himself against Angela's bosom. He was weeping with relief.

"ANGEEEELA! You're alive? Thank goodness!"

"Of course I am…" she chimed, stroking the fairy's head. "Why am I in the clinic? Did I collapse?"

"You don't remember? You were hit by the amorous gas!"

Angela almost accepted Finn's statement when the words actually clicked in her mind.

Wait. Wait…what? What?

Amorous gas? That's what had gotten her? Was Finn serious?

"You made that up," she said blatantly, laughing like it was a joke. "I've never even heard of that before…and why would those fumes have such a silly name if all they did was knock me out?"

"Dr. Jin was explaining it to Irene! Apparently, it's a very uncommon gaseous substance found in mines! If exposed to it, a person will experience hallucinations, delusions and fall into an almost intoxicated state at the sight of a loved one!"

"But I love you," Angela said with a smile as she looked at Finn innocently. "And I'm not acting strange!"

He grinded his teeth together and tugged at his hair in response to Angela's comment, trying to find an easy way to explain it to her. He'd felt guilty at first, but Angela's nativity was testing his nerves.

"You have to love them in a…'more than friends' way…" he said with a faint blush. "Like a lover."

That was when Dr. Jin walked in. Knowing that he couldn't see Finn, she leaned forward in bed and waited anxiously for Dr. Jin to answer her remaining questions. It would have been embarrassing had she not been so concerned about a certain someone.

"Uh…is Owen okay?"

"He's fine, although I didn't tell him about your condition. I sent him home."

Jin explained again what Finn had just told her. Hearing the words from a doctor's mouth only made her condition more unbelievable. So it was true. She really had been hit by a rare gas and had passed out the night before. She sighed in disappointment. That was not how she intended to spend her first moments in Owen's bed.

"Anyway," Jin continued sadly, pushing on his glasses. "This gas isn't like others. Contact with a loved one right now will only result in a flushed face and increased heart rate but, by the end of the week, contact with that person could result in your having extreme fits and even hallucinations. Angela…do you have feelings for Owen?"

She nodded hesitantly and looked at him with fright. "Wait…it lasts a whole week?"

"Seven days straight with no reprieve," he said, crossing his arms and looking at her squarely. "Listen, I didn't tell Owen because I didn't want to embarrass you, but seeing him while under the effects of the fumes could be dangerous! Do you understand?"

This wasn't fair. She and Owen were best friends, and not seeing him for a whole week would be torturous. She could easily tell him the truth, but that would be worse. He'd know about her feelings, and she was fully aware that he might not return them, especially if he knew about the stupid plague she was currently suffering from. He'd probably laugh at her.

Well, no, Owen wasn't mean enough to laugh at her. He'd probably just freak out a little. That was just as bad. Even if she couldn't be his girlfriend, she wanted to maintain a friendship with him.

"Alright Dr. Jin…thank you."

Fifteen minutes later, she was sent home with an otherwise clean bill of health. Thankfully, nobody else in town seemed to be aware of her little debacle. Owen, Chloe and Ramsey were the only people outside of the doctor's office that knew, and she'd have to keep the secret hidden from all three, especially Owen and Chloe (considering she was a huge blabbermouth!)

Angela would do her best to avoid Owen, but even so, they were best friends. There was always the chance he'd stop by.

"You have to tell him something!" Finn told her as she unlocked the door to her farmhouse. "You don't want to lose his friendship by doing something stupid and awkward!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Angela said sadly, flicking on her lights and throwing her pajamas on. "But what am I supposed to tell him?"

"How about telling him you have a cold?"

"He'd probably bring medicine…"

"How about telling him you broke your arm?"

"He'd offer to do my farm work…you know how persistent he is."

"How about telling him that your crops are infested with a deadly spore that could kill him if he came close to the farm?"

"…Finn, he's not an idiot."

"…I don't know," Finn said in surrender, flailing about in irritation. "Gah! Why do you have to be in love with such a gentlemanly guy? Why aren't you in love with Chase, Julius or Toby? They're infinitely less relentless!"

Angela laughed and was about to step into bed when she remembered she hadn't put her animals back in the barn. There was also supposed to be a typhoon tomorrow, so if would be incredibly bad if she left them out overnight. Too exhausted to put her clothes back on, Angela decided that he would just go out in her baggy tee shirt and plaid pajama shorts that revealed more of her legs that what she would have liked to show in such an unflattering outfit. The shorts could have been a swimsuit bottom if not for the extra centimeter of fabric that flared out. She went to the door and cheerfully decided she'd just run out to the bell and ring it to send the animals inside. Nobody would see her.

She hadn't planned on opening the door and seeing Owen standing right before her.

"H-hey," he said shakily, rubbing the back of his neck. "How are you?"

She felt a reaction almost instantly. Her face became bright red and she actually felt slightly woozy. "O-Owen…?"

"Do you need help getting the animals in? Here, stay right there—I'll do it! I just gotta ring that bell, right?" he asked, smiling at her as he trotted into her fields. She managed a nod and watched him complete the task with ease. As all the animals moved into the barn, she nodded her thanks. Owen walked back over to her and she actually had to lean against the doorframe to support her weight. She looked up at him dreamily and muttered her thanks under her breath.

"Don't mention it…are you alright? From earlier, I mean. You were completely unconscious."

"Yeah…" she breathed out, suddenly realizing how fast her heart was pounding. Her hand moved to her cheast and she stated to massage the area, which caught Owen's attention.

"Does your chest hurt?" he asked curiously.

"Y-Yeah…" she said, looking up at him with a smile. She grabbed his hand and, with a small giggle, muttered the words, "Here…why don't you feel and see if there's…anything wrong…"

Owen's face lit up like a firework as she guided his hand to her supple chest. Upon contact, she shivered with pure bliss and held his hand tightly. The miner was red as a strawberry and had averted his eyes. "N-Nothing feels wrong…" he forced out.

"Really? Maybe you should feel more…" she urged.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong, Angela?" he asked through an intense blush.

She smirked and was about to continue when Finn finally decided enough was enough. He sped toward Angela and yanked on her hair sharply, sending a jolt of pain through her. The shock awoke her from her trance and she returned to her senses. She looked down in horror and saw what she'd been doing. Releasing his arm in a second, she backed away in a frenzy of spluttering and trembling.

"T-Thank you Owen, but there's supposed to be a t-typhoon tomorrow, so…y-yeah, you better get home! I-I'm so sorry I troubled you! I…I really…!"

She shut the door after a quick wave of her hand. Seconds later, she slid onto the floor in a state of complete humiliation. Finn was horrified and, after recovering from the traumatic sights he'd witnessed, finally found his voice again.

"A-Angela…Dr. Jin said the effects would get worse over time…and this was only the first day."

Angela wasn't listening. She merely stood and got under the covers of her bed, wanting to vanish forever. She slipped into a fit of sleep which, not surprisingly, was haunted by dreams of Owen. The romantic dreams of her in his arms and kissing his lips made it difficult to go to bed and even harder to wake up and face the day.

**-END-**

Seven days…seven chapters. Sound cool? Again, any hilarious ideas are great, even if they're a little cracky. XD  
R&R please! You can flame my writing, but not the characters or video game (because I didn't make those…so yeah.)


	2. Second day blues

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: Please credit Natsume for the characters, setting and general Harvest Moon universe. I own nothing except for the fanfic itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: Wow, two reviews in just a couple hours after uploading…you guys are amazing! I'm uploading fanfiction every day now that school is out, and now I have this to add to my list of top-priority stories! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :D

**-START-**

Angela awoke to the sound of roaring winds and rain pummeling the windows. She rose lazily and stared outside, somewhat thankful for the awful weather. Owen wasn't scared of typhoons, but nobody in Harmonica Town dared to venture outside when the weather was horrible. For today, she'd be safe.

"Finn, can you please go see if the animals are okay while I get dressed?" Angela asked to fairy politely.

Knowing that he owed her for getting her into such a mess, he obliged and went out to the coop and barn. Thankfully, Angela only had four animals, and it didn't take long for Finn to see that they were all well fed and happy.

Angela dressed in pajama shorts and another billowing tee-shirt before stepping outside. She couldn't go anywhere, so there was no point in dressing in her normal farming attire. She stocked her bins full of feed, gathered eggs from the coop and milk from the barn. She put everything in the shipping bin and then, just for a moment, went to look at her field. She'd just planted a massive amount of crops and all of them were damaged. She harvested some corn, tomatoes and tea. It felt good to be at least a little productive.

The farmer went back into her house dripping with rainwater. Finn brought her a towel and, to lift her spirits, suggested that they made s'mores and watched a scary movie. Angela's eyes instantly sparkled with yearning and she leaped over to her stove, getting all the ingredients ready while Finn handled putting in a movie.

Angela didn't normally like scary movies, but luckily she'd brought along some DVDs from her former home. She hadn't had time to watch most of them. Finn decided to pick out the scariest one to take Angela's mind off her predicament. He came across one with a picture of a man in a white mask holding a dagger and decided it would be perfect. A slasher flick would be just the thing to distract Angela.

So, for most for the second day, Angela and Finn ate the gooey treats and screamed at the horror movie. They'd been so scared that they'd eaten all the s'mores and had to make popcorn to munch on during the movie's intense moments. As the serial killer hid behind his female victim and crept up to her, the music began to build. Finally, in an explosion of screeching violins, the killer ran from the darkness and inserted a dagger into the victim's back.

Right at that moment, Angela's phone rang loudly. Both viewers jumped into the sky, the bowl of popcorn soaring across the room. Both laughed at their reactions and started to pick up the popcorn. Finn paused the movie and Angela, still giggling ridiculously, made her way to the phone and picked it up.

"H-Hello?" she gasped through breathless chortles. "T-This is Angela."

"_You sound happy. Feeling better today?"_

Angela suddenly stiffened. Her hand lurched towards the nearest table to assist her in keeper her balance. "O-Owen?"

Finn looked over to her with a look of sheer panic. He flew towards her and urgently tugged on her arm to try and get her to drop the phone. Angela didn't want to talk, but she couldn't find the strength to put down the phone. Thankfully, hearing his voice wasn't as bad as seeing him in person, so she managed to keep herself under control. Her cheeks were red and she was breathing rapidly, but she was able to keep a grip on her senses and not lapse into her frighteningly bold state.

"Uh…a little, I'm still a little iffy," Angela said, keeping her voice from shaking as best she could. "W-Why did you call?"

"_Well, you rushed me out yesterday! I thought that was pretty weird…and…you were also acting kind of strange…" _he mumbled, and Angela knew exactly what he was talking about. "_Is…your chest okay?"_

She could have died at that moment.

"Y-Yeah, I was so dazed…" she giggled nervously, desperately searching for an excuse. "My heart was racing…I was so nervous after fainting! I'm okay now."

"_Awesome! I bought some medicine and I didn't know if you needed it. I'm glad you're okay!"_

"H-How sweet," Angela choked out, feeling a huge smile conquer her face. He was such a gentleman that it was unbelievable. Part of her wished it was possible for him to love her back.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued to speak. "So…why did you call, Owen? Don't tell me if it was just to see if I was alright!"

She heard his masculine snicker over the line and almost melted. God, why the hell was he so sexy? Just listening to his velvety voice was making her lose control.

"_Well, yeah. I know there's a typhoon today, but I wanted to invite you to the Summer Festival! I know you aren't a fan of fishing, but would you like to watch the fireworks with me?"_

Angela cursed inwardly. This was exactly what she didn't want. If she accepted, she'd act like a total moron in front of him and repel him. If she declined, he'd be disappointed. Finn was fluttering about like a madman telling her to turn down the offer. Before she even knew it, her lips muttered a faint response.

"Y-Yeah, I'd love that."

Finn dive-bombed into the floor screaming in protest. Angela covered her mouth and contemplated retracting the answer, but the joyful response Owen gave her made it too hard. She nodded and hung up the phone.

"Why did you do that? WHY? _WHHHHHHY_?"

"I couldn't turn him down!" Angela hollered in her defense. "He seemed so happy about it…and before I knew it I'd already said yes…"

She sat on her bed in dismay and looked at Finn sadly. Thankfully, the Summer Festival wasn't a romantic festival. In fact, the fireworks were the only thing that was even remotely aimed towards couples. Then an idea struck Angela. It would be dark outside by the time the fireworks started. As long as she couldn't see him directly, then she could probably control herself.

"This is my first date with Owen…and I won't even be able to look at him!" Angela cried out in frustration, ripping at her hair before falling back on the bed. She laid motionless until Finn had picked up the popcorn mess they'd left on the floor. After he finished, the tiny sprite went to Angela's side and tried his best to comfort her. "This is my fault…"

"No it's not, Finn…" she said, hugging the little fairy close to her and stroking his head of emerald colored hair. "Let's look on the bright side. I don't have a debilitating disease and my animals are all healthy. My life is still pretty good…and I know things will be okay in the end! We just have to be optimistic!"

Finn nodded and the two cheered merrily before going back to the movie. Still, ever since that phone call, nothing in the movie seemed to scare them quite as much. Finn wanted to ask Angela how everything would be alright in the end, because he had no idea.

Truthfully, he didn't think she did either.

XOXOXOXOXO

The night eventually came and, by then, the typhoon had died down drastically. Angela was incredibly thankful for that and decided to check on her animals one last time before setting back into bed. As soon as everyone was tucked away for the night, she made her way back to the house with a little more bounce in her step. Truth be told, she was a little excited for the date. Being near him was bound to be hard, but she'd deal with it. There was no going back now. Angela was a natural optimist and was a professional at taking a bad situation and making it better.

She'd order a cute outfit from the Tailor's when she got back inside. She had her idea on a black victorian dress trimmed with white roses and frilly lace. It was feminine and beautiful, and she knew Owen would like it. She also planned on wearing a garnet ring on her finger. She knew how much the miner liked fiery, red stones. Just thinking about her outfit was making her giddy. Her heart was pounding with glee despite the possible problems.

She made her way through the pelting rain until she reached the front door. As she did, a tiny voice seemed to call out to her. She thought it was Finn at first. As it pressed on, Angela realized it was coming from behind her and was more feminine that the sprite's voice. Angela turned and saw a tiny shadow approaching her. As it drew closer, the farmer realized who it was. Chloe stumbled over to her, her coat soaking wet and her cheeks red from the blisteringly fast winds.

"A-Angela…can I come inside?" Chloe asked with a sweet smile, waving weakly to Angela. The chocolate-haired farmer didn't waste a second. She pulled the little girl inside and ripped off her wet clothes, leaving her standing in her dress and shoes. Angela even plucked the hair elastic from her head, leaving her orange hair to fall over her shoulders. The little girl shook her head like a wet dog's and laughed. "Haha! Did you miss me?"

"C-Chloe?" she gasped, eyes wide with shock. "What are you doing out by yourself in the middle of a typhoon? It's dangerous!"

"I had to see you! I sneaked out so that Grandpa wouldn't see me!"

Angela blanched and fell back on her couch.

"He's going to be furious," Angela fretted, gripping her hair in fear. The little girl didn't see to comprehend the gravity of her actions. "Wait…why did you come, Chloe? Is something wrong?"

"Well, no…" she began, trying to cover her mouth and keep herself from giggling. "Nothing is wrong. I just thought that since Owen said you weren't feeling well…"

She pulled out something from behind her back and presented it to her proudly.

"I thought I'd bring you a treat! Here, it's Conger Eel Rice! It's your favorite, right Angela?" she asked in a sprightly voice. The farmer couldn't disagree that she loved the dish, but that was no reason for a little girl to be outside.

After chastising her for the irresponsible behavior, the farmer smiled and offered the girl a clean towel and a seat on her couch. Angela decided to pop in another horror movie to distract Chloe while she called Ramsey. He must have been close to having a heart attack. Punching in the number as fast as she could, the farmer listened to the rhythmic chime of the phone until the old man finally picked up. As Angela expected, he was stuttering with panic when he picked up the line. After informing him that Chloe was inside and that she was alright, he seemed to calm down a little bit. The old man said he'd be over in half an hour to pick the little girl up once the rain has diminished a bit more. While the typhoon had died down from earlier it was still a raging storm that could easily hurt someone. Angela turned on the horror movie again huddled next to the little girl under a polka-dot blanket.

After half an hour of screaming and hiding under the blanket, there was a knock at the door. Both girls screamed and fell off the couch laughing. Angela opened the door and saw a man standing in a raincoat with a hood pulled over his eyes.

"Oh, Ramsey," she said, overjoyed he'd made it safely. "I'm so sorry you had to come all the way here. Chloe is on the couch! I've got her clothes over by the laundry basket…"

The man nodded and pulled off the hood. When Angela saw flaming red hair and arms rippling with muscle, something inside of her twitched and she grew flushed. Oh no, she thought to herself as her hazel eyes connected with his icy gray ones.

"O-Owen…" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. For a split second, everything seemed to freeze. It was as if time had stopped. "I…thought Ramsey was coming."

"When I found out what happened, I volunteered to come down here myself," he said curtly, scanning the room for his cousin. When he saw that the little girl was safe, he was so relieved that he rushed to hug her. After a quick embrace, he also chastised her for her awful behavior and how inhospitable it was for her to just burst into Angela's home without warning. The entire time, Angela watched with a half-lidded stare, her eyes glazed over in lust. Just staring at him was making her loins dampen with desire.

Within seconds, all control was gone.

"Mmm…" she hummed, reaching out to touch his face. "Hey, Owen…"

Right in the middle of reprimanding Chloe, he turned to her and caught her hand. He looked puzzled and released her wrist seconds later upon seeing the brazen smile on her face. Angela guessed she must have looked as aroused as she felt.

"W-What is it?" he asked, trying to still sound stern with Chloe in the room watching them. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Angela…I really am. I'm going to take Chloe back home. I'm really sorry."

"Why don't you stay?" she asked boldly. Owen turned bright red and looked at her in shock, laughing nervously as he averted his eyes to a confused Chloe. "I can't…I have to take her home."

"What time do you want me to meet you for our little date?" Angela asked slyly as the miner took his cousin's hand and went towards the door. "I don't want to keep you waiting for the _fireworks_."

The double-entendre flew right over his head.

"Uh…how about 21:00?" he proposed, smiling self-consciously as they spoke. He was also blushing quite frankly, which pleased the aroused Angela. "You're…acting different. You must still be a little injured from when you collapsed, I guess."

"Am I?" she asked with enough coyness to make Owen turn bright red. She also noticed that her sultry voice seemed to be having an effect on him. The bulge between his legs seems slightly more prominent than normal and he was having a hard time maintaining eye contact. Angela licked her lips and noticed that she was still wearing her pajamas which showed off her toned legs very nicely.

She strode towards him and leaned close to him, just so the tips of her breasts could lightly touch his toned chest. He loosed a tiny, deep moan at the sensation. Just before she could lean any closer and rub her palms against his sculpted shoulders, Finn noticed her behavior and took charge. The sprite rushed toward her and rammed her right in the back of her neck with his head. Angela awoke and Finn spiraled into a dizzy slumber.

"A…Angela?" Owen asked, pulling back and making sure his broad back shielded his little cousin's sight.

"Sorry, I tripped," Angela blabbed out, stumbling backwards and pretending to catch her balance. She also cleared her throat as to pretend that her alluring voice was only the result of a scratchy throat. "I must have lost balance! Clumsy me!"

"Y-Yeah…" Owen stammered, nodding to her. His cheerful attitude seemed to return. He'd been caught off guard before, but now that she was back to normal, he seemed to relax a little. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow. Have a good night."

There was a smile on his face as he turned to leave. Chloe bid her a final farewell as the door shut and, just as it had been hours before, Angela and Finn were alone again. Once their footsteps faded away, the farmer frantically bent down to cup the tiny being in her hands.

"Finn…Finn, are you alright?"

Finn was awake, but his head was spinning after having rammed into her neck so hard.

"I…can't keep doing this…" he said slowly, speaking in a flimsy voice. Angela nodded in agreement and held the little fairy close to her chest. Hopefully the date would go over better. She'd have to come up with some way to snap herself out of a daze whenever she was close to losing control.

Thankfully she had an entire night to think up possibilities.

However, she still had five days to go, and she wasn't sure any of her possibilities were strong enough to withstand the strength of time.

**-END- **

Sorry this chapter seemed slow. This was an awkward day to throw in, but I figured it was a good set-up to the festival. Oh, and does anyone remember what the day after the Summer Festival is?

Well, it's Owen's birthday. That'll be a fun chapter. Haha!

R&R, and I hope you enjoyed! :D


	3. Trouble on day three

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: As stated before, all references to Harvest Moon are related to Natsume. I own nothing.

Rating: T

Author's Note: The Summer Festival! Oh…I don't like the festival. It's fun, but a little boring in my opinion. The fireworks are cute though…I just kind of wish that it was just the Fireworks Festival like in other HM games. Haha!

Well, please enjoy and drop a review if you can! Every bit of encouragement helps!

**-START-**

The Summer Festival was usually a time to rejoice in the ocean. The boats were running and the sea was harmoniously peaceful. Of course, that didn't mean anything to Angela, who'd lost every single contest earlier that day. To her, the festival just reminded her about how horrible she was at fishing. She liked the sport, but for some reason it wasn't her forte. After a horrible day of embarrassing losses, she decided to retreat home with one of her most trusted friends at her side.

"Don't feel bad Angela…" Toby said sympathetically as he patted the young woman's back. "This is your first year in town…it's only natural to not with all the contests at the festival. Fishing is really hard. It took me years to learn."

"I didn't win a single contest," Angela said gloomily, her head hanging as she and the blue-haired fisherman made their way back to her farm. After witnessing her claiming last place in every contest, Toby realized that she must have felt incredibly depressed and offered to walk her home. "But thank you for walking me home."

"I'm surprised you let me," he said with a soft chuckle. "I thought for sure you'd want to stay and watched the fireworks with Owen."

Angela froze in her tracks and stared at Toby incredulously. "H-How did you know I was going to see the fireworks with Owen?"

"I didn't" he said slyly, rubbing the back of his head. "I just guessed. Am I right?"

Angela exhaled and smiled hopelessly, allowing herself to nod. Was it really that obvious that she had a crush on him? Sometimes she had to wonder.

"Yeah…" she said sheepishly, throwing her hands behind her back. "He asked me out yesterday to see them and I agreed to come. How…did you know that I liked him?"

"Well, you're my friend!" the fisherman declared as he leaned over and tapped Angela on the tip of her nose playfully. "You always talk about mining with him, and whenever he walks by you, you turn bright red! Everyone in town knows you like him!"

"R-Really?"

"Yes, but we all think its sweet," he said, looking upwards and seeing that they were getting close to Angela's farm. "Even Kathy thinks you two are a nice couple. I overheard her talking about it with Selena, and Kathy never lies to her!"

Thank goodness, Angela thought inwardly with immense relief. Kathy was a wonderful person, and the last thing she wanted to do was make the blond woman feel bad.

The two adults beamed at each other as they walked up the dirt path and arrived at Angela's front door. She thanked Toby for his consideration and watched him walk away into the darkness. Perhaps she would see him again that night. She wouldn't be surprised if he and Renee were going to see the fireworks as well. They were such a cute couple. Then Angela felt a spell of giggles roll up her throat. She was going with Owen as his date, not just a friend. They would be one of the many couples at the beach. It was almost perfect.

Again, almost perfect.

Angela was reminded of her problem and got right to work getting dressed. It was the third day of her awful curse, and there were only four days to go. It was almost over, and then she'd be free. Once that happened, regular life could amble onwards as it had before.

Then again, perhaps she didn't want her regular life back. Maybe it was better when she was bold around Owen. He seemed a little uncomfortable around her, but before, she hadn't even been able to land a date with the man. Now, she finally had the chance to go out with him because of her confident attitude. Perhaps the amorous gas wasn't such a bad thing.

It wasn't as if she'd done anything wrong…she'd just acted, for lack of a better word, completely _horny_ around him.

She opened the door and, in less than a second, Finn was in her face and staring her down as she came inside.

"You're back! Please tell me you aren't going out again…"

"Finn…"

"NO!" the fairy said, going to grab Angela's arms and she went to the dresser to pick out her clothes. "You can't Angela! Don't go!"

She'd ordered the lacy dress and laid it out on the bed. It looked beautiful and elegant. It was perfect for a date.

Finn continued to yell at the woman as she pulled the dress over her head.

"Are you listening? Angela, please! Don't go out with him! Don't you remember what Dr. Jin said? He said you should be avoiding Owen, not spending every day with him!"

She straightened the dress and fixed the cloth so that it sat evenly on her slender body. After making sure her hair looked decent, she sat on the bed and began to fasten on the matching shoes. She hummed to herself merrily and ignored Finn's warnings. Her mind was made up.

"Finn, you can't talk me out of it," she said, standing up proudly with her slender arms balanced upon her curved waist. "I'm going to go and enjoy myself! Maybe…maybe those fumes made me into a better person that I was before. Someone…that Owen likes more."

"No, no, no!" Finn protested, grabbing the frills of her dress as she went towards the door. "I don't think that's it! He told you that he thought you were acting weird!"

"He thought I was acting weird in a good way!" she chimed.

"No, in a bad way! In a bad way!"

The door closed in Finn's face and the little sprite slammed into it before he had a chance to slow down. He fell to the ground and tried to shake off his dizziness. Sadly, he looked up at the closed door and flew to the window. Angela was strutting down the path proudly with her nose in the air and her posture fully erect. He put his tiny hands against the glass and felt sadness consume him.

Why didn't Angela understand? She was a powerful woman that had saved the Harvest Goddess by reviving the land and making friends with almost everyone in town. He knew Owen was a good guy and liked her for who she was normally. She just hoped that her boldness wouldn't cloud his judgment and lead him to take advantage of her.

If he did, he'd find some way to beat him into a senseless pulp.

XOXOXOXOXO

With every step she took, Angela's confidence diminished little by little. Her blazing inferno of confidence had quelled to smoldering embers of resistance and terror. The more she thought about her own logic, the more she realized Finn was probably right. Owen wasn't into showy girls. He had told her himself a few months before that he preferred simple, cute girls who were hard-working and strong. Ever since then, Angela longed to be that girl. She dreamed of becoming the girl Owen wanted as his girlfriend.

By the time she arrived at the docks, the mayor's voice was booming over the cheers of townspeople. He was announcing that the fireworks were starting soon and that everyone should make their way down to the beach. Angela obeyed and wandered down to the shore. Noticing that Owen hadn't arrived yet, she took a seat at the far end of the shore and nervously wrung her hands together. However, she couldn't stand him up. That would be harmful to their friendship.

If she started to lose herself, she'd pinch her arm to regain control. Every time Finn had hurt her, she'd snapped right out of the trance and regained her composure just in time. Hopefully the same technique would work tonight. Jin had said that the effects of the fumes would grow with each day, intensifying with each encounter. She just had to pray that she didn't do anything stupid.

Right as the first firework began, the sound was accompanied by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. She turned involuntarily and saw the handsome miner's face mere inches from her own.

"Sorry I'm late!" he said, sitting next to her and trying to catch his breath. It sounded as if he'd been running. "The mine cart wasn't working, so I had to run all the way around the other side of your farm to get here! Did you wait long?"

His voice seemed to go right between her legs.

"N-No…" she said with an innocent smile. "I didn't wait long at all."

Her heart wasn't racing, but her cheeks were red and, after staring at his face for a long while, Angela was starting to feel a new sensation. It wasn't just boldness that she felt. For a moment, Angela almost felt drunk. She felt as if she'd had too much wine and was now intoxicated from the alcohol. She felt a little light-headed and felt her head start to feel heavy and sway gently from side to side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing her odd behavior.

"Yes," she muttered, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. She hummed in bliss as Owen's muscled arm rippled beneath her supple cheek. He felt so warm, just like a pillow. She wanted to reach over and take his strong hand. She looked down and gently moved her fingers toward him, her fingernails gently brushing against his flesh. He seemed to shiver at the sensation and turned to look over his shoulder. When he saw how close their hands were, he glanced into her hazel eyes questionably. She smiled back at him.

"Owen…can I hold your hand?" Angela asked with daring leer.

Before she could grab his hand, Owen put his masculine hand over her own. He intertwined their fingers passionately and lifted the hand to his lips. He gently kissed Angela's hand. Behind them, another neon firework exploded in the air.

"Angela…t-thank you for agreeing to come with me…"

"You're more than welcome, Owen," Angela said, leaning closer to Owen so that her breasts were pressed against his firm bicep. He flinched away at first, but after he saw the sparkle in her eyes, allowed the provocative contact to press on. "Being near you is always a pleasure."

He seemed flushed now. He leaned closer against her and cupper her cheek in his hand. His arm pushed harder against her breasts. She moaned and begged him to come closer. She felt the delta of womanhood between her legs grow warm and wet at his touch. She wanted to pull him down onto he sand, wrap her legs around his waist and kiss him endlessly.

After perhaps a second of contemplation, that's exactly what she did.

She quickly looked to make sure that everyone was busy watching the fireworks, and then struck the unsuspecting man. Angela pulled Owen down on top of her and both collided against the soft sand. He gasped in surprise and looked at her incredulously when he saw the smirk on her face.

"Owen, baby, please kiss me…" Angela pleaded, nipping at the hollow of his neck seductively. He groaned and Angela could feel a hardened bulge pressing against the inside of her thigh. "Mmm…I see I've made you excited. Just let go, baby. Please…and take me with you."

For a moment, Angela actually thought he was going to kiss her. She saw the man swallow and glance around nervously. The farmer continued to plant sensual kisses along his collarbone to entice him further. Finally, the miner planted a firm hand at the back of Angela's neck and pulled her closer to his face.

This is it, Angela thought with intense anticipation. His mouth looked so delicious and welcoming. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to dominate her and feel his tongue taste her mouth with lustful desire.

However, Owen never kissed her. Instead, he planted a firm hand against her mouth and stared at her firmly. Angela's eyes widened with anger and she tried to struggle away from beneath him.

"I knew something was wrong with you," he said, his cold eyes staring deep into her gold ones. "The Angela I know would never act like that."

So, he'd been pretending the entire time!

She worked her mouth out from under his fingers and looked at him venomously. She leaned over and began to undo the button of her dress, slowly revealing her cleavage and bra. However, Owen didn't seem to be embarrassed. He didn't even blush. The redhead simply stared at her with an icy glare.

"What's wrong, baby?" the farmer asked, the effects of the fumes making her woozy. "Are you not in the mood? I'm sure I can fix that if you could get us a room…"

His hand shot to her chest to prevent her from unbuttoning any more of her dress.

"No," he said sternly, keeping her hand firmly sealed beneath his iron grip. It would be impossible for Angela to pull away. "I'm not stupid, Angela. Something's still wrong with you. Something's been wrong with you ever since that day you collapsed in front of the mine! Tell me what happened."

"Owen…" she pleaded, leaning against his chest. Her hardened nipples graced his strong core, but he didn't move. "Why are you being so listless around me? Are you not attracted to me?"

"Not right now," he said. "But I used to be…and I still am. I like the _real_ Angela, not whoever you're pretending to be now."

Before he realized what he'd confessed, his words had already shocked her into waking from her spell. The farmer's eyes returned to their round innocence and her body leaned back and became less forceful. She appeared to have no memory of his exact words, but her amorous actions were crystal clear. Owen watched her suspiciously until she looked up at him again. He could see the shame in her eyes. Just looking at her face at that moment was like taking a blade to the heart.

"W-What did I just do?" Angela asked, shaking in terror. Before he could process a response, she shot up and fled from the beach. He reached out to take her hand but fell short by a few centimeters. He called after her desperately, but his cry was lost in the colossal boom of a firework overhead.

She sprinted home with tears running down her cheeks. They made her vision cloudy and her eyes stung awfully from pain. She tripped while running down the path and tore a hole in her dress. After sobbing through the intense pain, she got up and darted for the front door. She didn't want to stop just in case Owen was behind her. She could never face him again. It had to be over between them.

She burst into her farmhouse and went to her bed, howling with dismay. Finn was by her side to pat her head an embrace her, but nothing helped. Her cries were loud and unstoppable. The tiny sprite went to lock the front door and get out clean clothes for her. He laid them next to her silently and sat beside her, slowly stroking her hair.

"Did that creep take advantage of you?" he finally asked.

She sniffled and shook her head. Finn sighed in relief, but Angela's sorrow did not quell.

"No…I think I made a pass at him…I don't even remember what happened…" she gasped incoherently, struggling to breathe through her intense sobs. "B-But I know I did…and now he knows! He knows! Now I'm just…I'm just…"

A stupid girl who gone and scared the man of her dreams away, she thought with anguish.

Why did she accept his invitation?

Why did she want to climb to the top of the Garmon Mine?

Why did she love Owen so much?

Why did everything have to be like this?

She cried long into the night. Eventually, Finn turned out the lights to cry and get her to retire to bed. He looked over and saw that she was slaying motionless in her hunched over position, arms over her head and face pressed against the comforter. She had fallen asleep crying. The fairy draped a blanket over her sleeping form and watched her sleep

From outside, Owen stood on the dirt path looking at the farmhouse oddly. From a distance, Finn thought it was a look of anger and was about to erupt with rage. As he flew to the window, he saw a different expression. It was a look he could only describe and tormented. He didn't appear angry at all. He saw Owen sigh sadly and walk up to the door. He slipped a small package in her mailbox and looked at the door sadly. He seemed to walk away with a look of regret. Finn didn't understand. Why wasn't he angry?

He looked at Angela's sleeping body and pursed his lips together in frustration. What had Angela done on the beach…and what had Owen said?

Finn realized he'd never know, but the answer probably laid somewhere in the workings of their little rendezvous. He knew he should have followed her.

**-END- **

Aw…poor Angela. If only she'd actually heard what he'd said, huh?

Please R&R if you can! I hope you enjoyed and continue to support the story! Bye bye! :D


	4. There's hope on day four

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon is not mine and I claim no rights to anything besides the fanfiction itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: I'm playing through Animal Parade again and I'm actually on this exact day on my New Game Plus file. Oh, Owen's birthday. Poor Angela is suffering so much.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter!

**-START-**

** "**_Open you left and open your right! Then lift your head with all of your might!"_

Finn looked down to see if his cheerful chant had made Angela feel better. He'd been trying to rouse the distressed woman from bed and had used almost every little rhyme or song he knew to restore her chipper personality. Of course, nothing had worked. Her face was still pressed against the comforter and her limp body refused to budge. The fairy drooped in disappointment and got to work thinking up a new melody.

Finn opened his mouth to sing again when Angela turned over and away from him, grabbing the nearest pillow and using it as a shield against the noise.

Finn huffed in annoyance at her pessimism and went to go and care for the animals. The farmer had fed and petted them earlier that morning, but she'd gone right back to bed. They were lonely and confused as to why their normally peppy owner was so sad and melancholy. Angela was never mean to them, but it was easy to see that the animals could sense the falseness behind her smile as she brushed and embraced them every morning. Finn felt bad, but hopefully, the next three days would go by fast. Then maybe she could fall in love with someone else and recover from her humiliation.

Finn stopped just outside of the front door and looked at the ground gloomily. No, that wasn't right. She was in love with Owen, and from what Finn had seen from the miner last night he had legitimate reasons to believe that the miner had feeling for her in return.

Suddenly, Finn remembered something else from the night before. He remembered seeing that Owen had put something in Angela's mailbox. He'd completely forgotten about it. The sprite made his way to the box gracefully and opened the flap. As it fell open, Finn could clearly see a small a small, thick envelope tucked in the back. Mustering all of the strength in his tiny body, the sprite grabbed the folds of the letter and gradually worked it free from the mailbox. He then pulled it out and went back inside. He dropped the letter onto the bed and, since it seemed heavier than usual, Angela actually felt the envelope hit the bed. She twitched and looked up, rubbing her sore eyes looking at it briefly. When she saw Owen's name on the front, she attempted to shove it away. Finn shook his head and pleaded that she read it. Angela opposed and declared that she was too humiliated to even think of the man. In order to convince her otherwise, Finn told her of Owen's behavior from the night before and how he'd looked so sad and desperate when he dropped off the letter in her mailbox. Angela hesitated and sighed deeply.

Then Finn voiced his opinion that he felt Owen might love her back, despite all that had happened. That seemed to do the trick. She frantically scrambled up and snatched the envelope from the bed. Nervously running her fingers through her hair, Angela paced around the room for a solid minute before she actually took a seat at her kitchen table. With shaky hands, she tore a slit in the envelope and opened the letter. There was a large piece of parchment folded up and stuffed unevenly into the pocket of the envelope. Angela unfolded the paper and saw a few brief sentences. In Owen's signature, manly flourish, the letter made a simple demand.

"_Please don't ask questions. Just trust me and give me a call. You know the number._

_"Owen."_

Angela blinked away her tears. She briefly glanced at her phone and stood up.

"S-Should I do it?" the farmer asked with teary hesitation as she reached for the receiver.

"I think you should!" Finn said, urging her onward with the flapping from his arms. "After all…things couldn't get any worse. If you don't call him on his birthday, you'll regret it!"

"His birthday?" she said slowly, blinking her eyes and looking off towards the calendar. Sure enough, it was the 18th of summer. That was Owen's birthday, which was always the day right after the Summer Festival. "It is…oh, Finn. I…have to call him."

"Do it," he encouraged again. "To told you not to ask questions in the letter! Maybe he wants to talk about last night."

"What if he hates me?"

"Then why would he ask you to call?"

Angela smiled and allowed herself the pleasure of laughing. The brown-haired woman swallowed her pride. She picked up the phone and decided to call the miner. He already had his number on speed dial. With the push of one button, her phone began to ring. Seconds later, she heard his beautiful voice over the line.

"_Angela?"_

"H-Hello," she gasped out, turning red. As long as it was just his voice, she seemed to be fine. It was so alluring and masculine that she actually had to carry the phone over to the table just to sit down. "I saw…your letter in the mailbox. Was there…something we needed to talk about?"

"_Angela…today is my birthday," _he said slowly. _"As a present, I wanted to hear your voice. Not the voice of the woman who was with me last night…but the voice of the Angela who moved to Castanet Island and saved the land from ruin. I want to hear…your voice right now."_

Angela swallowed hard and felt her entire body tense. What was he trying to say? Fighting a shaking tone, she nodded surely and muttered loudly enough for him to hear, "O-Owen…happy birthday."

"_Thank you," _he heaved with an exhale. _"I…love the sound of your voice. It's a little high, but it sounds sweet and romantic. It's especially cute now…you sound a little sleepy."_

Angela pursed her lips and stomped her foot. Oh, how she wanted to believe what he was saying so badly. She wanted to tell him how much he loved the sound of his voice. How rhythmic and smooth it was, like a velvety dessert. However, she couldn't. Not while she was still under the effects of the fumes. Then, realization crashed through her like a bolt of lightning.

"Owen…just now, you said something about how you liked the 'real me'…and not 'the woman from the night before'…what do you mean by that?" she asked him curiously. Angela clenched the phone tightly and asked in a pitched squeak, "What…happened last night?"

Owen became deadly quiet for a few seconds. Angela clenched her fists and prepared for the worst. Surprisingly, she heard him laugh. That was an immediate cause for perplexity. After all that had happened, why was he laughing?

"What's funny?" she asked, finding herself laughing with him. "You're making me laugh! What is it?"

"_Angela…nothing happened."_

"Nothing? Really?"

"_You tried to kiss me…and then I stopped you," _he said almost indifferently.

Angela didn't know why, but she was overjoyed and strung at the same time. She was incredibly happy that Owen hadn't taken advantage of her, but it hurt that he had shoved her away. Was it because he knew something was wrong? Or was it because he didn't return her feelings? There were so many questions buzzing around din her mind that it was almost impossible to think straight.

"Why did you stop me?"

"_Because I knew that I wasn't being kissed by Angela,"_ he said. Angela told him that she didn't understand. He clarified in an almost dream-like voice, "_You just asked me what happened last night…so that proves you don't remember. I knew you weren't drunk because, when you got close to me, I didn't smell any alcohol. I knew you weren't drunk. You've been acting strange ever since you woke up from fainting near the mine."_

Angela didn't know what to say. All she could do at that moment was wait for Owen's next question.

"_What's going on?"_

"If you really want to know, call Dr. Jin," Angela said with a small smile. Finn stared at her from across the room with his mouth gaping open. She mouthed out a brief apology to the sprite and insisted that if Owen really wanted to know what was wrong, he'd call him. If Jin didn't want to tell him, she told him to call her and she'd give official permission. "He'll tell you everything. Owen, I just want to let you know that there's a reason I'm acting so strange. There really is!"

"_I don't…want to invade your privacy," _he said slowly, swallowing. _"Still, I believe you, Angela. I'm not going to call. Not yet. I'll only call if I become really concerned. You're my best friend. If you really felt comfortable with what was happening, I'd like to think you would have come to me for help."_

"I would have," Angela replied desperately, sensing a small trace of depression in his voice. "Owen, you mean everything to me!"

She wanted the week to be over. Angela didn't want to be talking with him over the phone. The farmer longed to be right beside him so that he could hold her tightly as she cried into his lap. Finally, she'd fallen in love. She wanted to show Owen how much she adored him. She loved him like no other woman would be able to, and she wanted to reach out, touch his face, kiss his lips and whisper those words to him as they lay entwined in his bed, both of them venting their frustrations through passionate kisses and desperate clinging.

"Will you always be my friend? I'll be fine by the end of this week. Will you…wait for me?"

"_I'll always wait," _he said kindly. _"Can…I not see you until the end of the week?"_

"It would be best if we didn't…" Angela said slowly. She could tell that she sounded sad and stopped herself before her emotions became obvious. "Still, we can't let that get us down! Are you going to have a drink tonight at the Brass Bar? It's your birthday, you know!"

"_I just might, but it wouldn't be the same if you didn't bring it to me!"_

"Owen, stop it!" Angela laughed, blushing crazily. "Don't…make me lose myself again."

The two found themselves talking for hours after that. Everything from mining to cocktails to even favorite recipes was discussed openly. They even brought up the occasional topic of romance. Surprisingly, it was not awkward. Both were incredibly open-minded and chatted like true adults about the matter. Both of them wanted to get married and have kids. It seemed so perfect. Angela had to wonder about what marrying Owen would be like. It seemed like they'd be so perfect with each other.

"Owen…can I ask you one more question before I go to bed?"

"_Sure. Go right ahead."_

"Earlier…you said that you didn't kiss me on the night of the Summer Festival because I wasn't myself," he began twirling her hair nervously and looking towards the floor. "Well…if I was myself, would you have still pushed me away?"

It seemed like years before Owen finally gave an answer.

_"…No, probably not,"_ he stammered, sounding a little embarrassed. _"Goodnight, Angela."_

Angela didn't reply. She was so stunned that all she could to was hand up the phone and stare at the wall in complete silence. Finn, who'd been trying to listen the entire time, soared over to her side and pleaded to know what had happened.

"I think…I think Owen just told me he liked me," the farmer stammered, still in disbelief. She didn't think she'd misunderstood him. So, it had to be true. It wasn't as if she'd make it up. She'd heard the man with her own ears. "He likes me! Even after all this, he likes me! He likes _me_!"

The sprite was so overjoyed that both of them did a cheerful dance that involved spinning in asymmetrical circles and falling to the floor in a dizzy frenzy.

"Hey, I'm going to get dressed and hang out with Candace and Luna," she decided, reaching for her sporty outfit and removing her ragged pajamas. "I'm in such a good mood! After that, I'm going to play with all the animals until we're too tired to stand! Finn, come with us! It'll be so much fun!"

The emerald-haired fairy managed to nod through his surprise.

Owen had made her so happy and raised her from a pit of despair that even he, her most loyal comrade, couldn't free her from.

Maybe falling in love with the fiery miner wasn't such a bad thing.

**-END- **

Yay, a happy chapter! We needed this! Woo…finally, Angela catches a break!

R&R, and thanks to all my readers! I'd love if we could bust 10 reviews by the end of the story. I might even do a bonus chapter if enough people would like it. :D  
Thanks again!


	5. Day five calls for action

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Angela x Owen

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to anything related to the Harvest Moon franchise. I only own the fanfic itself and the book cover.

Rating: T

Author's Note: I drew a book cover for this series, but you can't really see it in detail because it's so small. Oh, well. Here's day five! Maybe things will finally start to look up for Angela.

Please enjoy and drop a review if you can! I love hearing feedback from you guys!

**-START- **

Last night had been amazing.

Angela, Luna and Candace had all gotten dressed up and gone out to eat at the Inn. Afterwards, all three girls went to the beach and splashed in the waves. They sat and watched the sunset together, seeing it glimmer against the gentle waves of the ocean. Afterwards, they all went to the church to dance around the enchanting darkness of the night.

Hours later, all the girls were still awake enough to go back down to the lighthouse and watch the sunrise. Angela wished she could have spent the rest of Owen's birthday with him, but she knew that wasn't possible.

All she could do was enjoy the coming of a new day with her two best friends. Both sisters sat beside Angela and held her hands tightly, squeezing them compassionately. Somehow, the farmer felt like the two girls could sense the turmoil was going through. She allowed herself the pleasure of clenching the girl's hands until the navy sky had turned periwinkle and the birds began to awake from their slumber and chirp happily. Candace yawned loudly and, after ample teasing from Luna, the three girls decided to go home. The sister's walked into the tailor's shop and wished Angela good luck on whatever was troubling her.

That's what Angela loved about her friends. Neither of them ever asked what was wrong with her, but if Angela felt like talking, they'd listen until the end of time. Owen was the only other person she could do that with.

It was the start of the fifth day. For once, things seemed positive. She still felt bad for missing Owen's birthday, but as she walked back to her house to get a few hours of sleep, she noticed some blackberry fruits tucked away in the bushes. An idea popped into her head. She picked the berries and took them to her aging pot. She decided to let them sit and made the miner a fruity drink as an apology gift. In the meantime, she changed into a white T-shirt, a denim miniskirt and brown, leather boots. It was simple, but feminine. She finished applying her foundation and blush and walked over to the pot. She looked inside and nodded merrily. It was done.

She poured the fuchsia liquid into a fancy glass and topped it with a colorful umbrella.

It wasn't his favorite, but he liked it.

Besides, she didn't have the ingredients for his favorite foods, so this would have to do.

Finn was fast sleep on her pillow and, since it was still so early, she decided not to wake the tiny fairy up. She rubbed his head gently and decided to deliver the gift without him. It was a little dangerous in theory, since she would be near Owen's house. There was the possibility that she could run into Owen. Angela looked up at the clock and realized it was almost 4:00 a.m., and all her worries vanished. There was no way anyone in the mining district would be up so early. She put the drink in her rucksack and carried it to the Blacksmith as stealthily as possible. The girl crept up to the door and gently placed the cocktail on the side of the doormat. She took a tiny piece of paper out of her rucksack and found a pen at the bottom of her bag. She wrote out a little note and placed it on top of the glass.

Angela closed her eyes and went to turn around.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw two golden eyes staring right back at her.

She stumbled backwards and crashed against the blacksmith's door, making a loud bang.

"No," she gasped, hearing footsteps from inside the house march towards the front door.

Frozen in fear, Angela didn't know what to do. The gold-eyed man grabbed her and pulled her down the path that led to the Harvest Spring. As they ducked in the trees, she could see Owen walk outside with Chloe clutching his leg. When both saw the drink and read the note, they appeared to be cheerful and went inside merrily. The farmer sighed thankfully and turned to see the face of the man who'd pulled her away. It was the carpenter's son, Luke.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked, standing up and brushing the dirt and leaves off of her outfit from when Luke had pulled her into the forest.

"I saw you running towards Owen's house, so I followed you," he said, shrugging. "I wanted to ask you while you were out so early! I didn't mean to surprise you. When you fell back, I thought it'd be best to get you out of there!"

Angela blanched. Had he found out about her situation?

"W-Why?"

"Well, Owen doesn't like gettin' up early! If you wake him up before he feels like it, you'll regret it! I'd like to think I saved you from death, Angela!"

She sighed. So that was it. Thank goodness Luke hadn't caught on. If the dense Luke had managed to figure out her secret, there was a good chance that everyone else had also figured it out before him. She felt a little bit better, but the close call had still made her feel unusually flushed. Also, since she had caught a glimpse of Owen as he'd walked outside, she was also feeling amazingly aroused. Luke noticed and leaned closer to her, inspecting her odd behavior.

"Uh…you okay, Angela?"

She nodded and began to wave a hand in front of her face to cool herself off.

"Here, come inside and have a drink," Luke offered kindly, taking her hand. "My dad just made some awesome lemonade! It'll refresh and cool you down, I promise!"

Angela thought that sounded fantastic and followed the Carpenter inside. While he was pouring her a glass in the kitchen, she asked why in the world he was up so early. He responded that it was because he wanted to get a head-start on chopping wood for the afternoon. Since it was summer, it was often cooler in the morning and extremely hot in the afternoon. If he finished early, then he wouldn't have to suffer through the heat to meet his daily quota.

"Owen works in the mines, so he usually doesn't have to worry about it unless he's in the upper part," Luke explained as he served her the lemonade. The drinks were served in large mason jars. "He's going to mine the lower part today, so he gets to sleep in! Lucky, right?"

"R-Right," Angela agreed, taking a glass and quickly gulping down the liquid, urging herself to calm down. Before she knew it, she had downed the huge glass of lemonade and Luke was staring at her incredulously. She quickly sat the jar down and beamed at the carpenter in an attempt to pretend that nothing was wrong. When she saw that Luke was lifting a brow at her inquisitively, she knew she had failed. Luke may have not been the brightest when it came to logical problems, but when the problem involved the emotions of a person, there was nobody who could react with more speed.

"What's wrong, Angela?"

"N-Nothing!"

"There's definitely something wrong," he insisted. "Don't lie to me! You're the most extreme girl I know! Nothing could ever get you down…unless it was something really bad…"

There was a look of sudden worry on his face and Angela knew that she had to make a decision fast. Should she lie to Luke or should she tell him the trust. He was one of her most trustworthy friends, but her situation was so embarrassing that she wasn't sure if he would ever let her live it down. If Finn was with her, he would have been begging her not to tell him. She knew that she should keep her secret like Jin suggested, but she felt like if she held onto it any longer something would blow up in her face. She had to tell somebody close to Owen, and Luke was honestly the perfect option. She sighed deeply and looked at her friend earnestly, both pairs of their golden eyes meeting.

"Luke, can I tell you a secret?" Angela asked softly with an averted gaze. "It's been bothering me for a while…and I really need to tell someone."

"Yeah, totally!" he said, taking her hand. "You can trust me with anything, Angela! Maybe I can even help you figure out what to do."

"It's a long story…are you sure? You said you wanted to start chopping wood early…"

"I'll do it tomorrow!" he said with a cocky grin. "You're my friend and I want to help. So, c'mon, tell me!"

"Well…alright…here goes."

She told Luke everything. Everything was revealed in the course of a rather manic hour. She told him of the mysterious fumes, her fainting and the four days leading up to where they were now. After telling Luke about her dilemma, she described each day so far with her condition. She also explained the real reason she'd been out so early in the first place. All the while, Luke's face grew increasingly confused and, at times, even horrified. Angela grew more worried with each word that escaped her lips. Should she not have told him?

Finally, she ended her tale hopelessly and looked up at Luke through a curtain of downcast lashes. He was speechless and a little whiter than usual.

"Luke…are you okay?"

Luke didn't respond and looked towards the ground.

"Should I not have told you?" the farmer inquired, getting a little misty-eyed. She would have thought that Luke of all people would understand her dilemma.

Seconds later, a smile broke out on his face and he looked up at her. A wave or relief washed over her.

"Wow…that's a big problem," he said somewhat quietly. "I had no idea you felt that way about Owen, but I can see that you really like him. You love him…a lot."

"You're…not freaked out?"

"No way! After all, it's not your fault that some of those wicked fumes got you in the mine! But…this is serious, Angela. Who knows?"

"Dr. Jin and Irene know for certain, Candace and Luna have suspicions, and Owen knows something's wrong, but he just thinks I'm sick," Angela told him, becoming less worried. "I told him that he could call Dr. Jin and ask about me if he became uncomfortable, but I don't think he's done that yet. Why do you ask, anyway?"

"I was just wondering is someone like Chloe or Bo knew," he said, laughing softly. "After all, there are some people on this island that just can't keep secrets. If either of them knew, the whole town would know about your problem!"

Angela laughed and felt her spirits lift gradually. She was thankful that she'd told the carpenter about her problem. There was a massive weight off of her chest. Finn would be enraged, but she didn't care. She knew that she'd told the right person.

"Thanks, Luke…I knew I could count on you!"

"Don't mention it," he said with a grin. He looked outside and noticed that the streets were becoming busier and more crowded. Angela would need to leave soon if she wanted to avoid Owen. "Hey, you should get home soon. Are you free tonight?"

"T-Tonight?" she thought, trying to think about her plans. She had nothing to do besides water her crops and perhaps pay her animals a visit. "I think I'm free. Why?"

He smirked and took her empty glass from her, winking as he vanished into the back of the house. "You'll see! I've got an awesome plan to help you out, and we'll put it into action tonight!"

He cackled almost evilly and went to work, leaving a stunned and perplexed Angela to ponder her future fate in silence. A plan? That didn't sound good. However, she had already told him that she was free, and she couldn't stand him up. With a deep exhale, Angela ran back to her farmhouse and waited for navy blanket of night to descend over the island. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her gut…but it was too late to turn back.

XOXOXOXOXO

At 22:00, Angela gently opened her front door and peered outside. Everyone in town was either fast asleep or sitting drinks at the bar in Harmonica Town. Finn had fallen asleep early and had no idea about Angela and Luke's rendezvous. Dressed in a black shirt, black miniskirt and black flats, Angela had tried her best to appear stealthy and not attract attention. The farmer crept from her farm all the way over to the Garmon Mines.

When she arrived, she knocked on the door to the carpenter's shop. Luke opened the door and quickly pulled her inside, as to make sure she wasn't seen.

"L-Luke!" she stammered nervously, trying to gather her bearings after having been tugged on so violently. "What's going on?"

Luke shushed the girl and motioned for her to follow. Blinking, she obeyed his commands hesitantly, unsure of how to react. She followed him out the back door and into the forest behind the building. They walked down the path to the Goddess spring for a few minutes then, bright before they reached the shrine, Luke turned around and smirked.

"Alright, now to put my super cool plan into motion!" he whispered as he clenched a fist in determination.

"Hey," Angela said, sounding more frightened than angry. "Shouldn't I know about this plan? I mean, I'm the test subject, aren't I?"

"I suppose," he pondered, looking upwards in thought. "Okay, here's the plan! Owen's going to come back from the bar tonight. You're going to wait for him on the porch. When he comes by, talk to him, but keep your eyes averted."

"W-What? Why?"

"We're going to find out how Owen really feels about you!" he admitted finally, making Angela turn red. "You'll be talking with him and I, dressed in all black with a scarf over my mouth, will rush from the forest and grab you. I'm going to pretend to kidnap you, and we'll see what Owen does."

"I don't get it…"

"Huh? Don't get what?"

"Well, you already told me that he always talks about me," she explained, growing worried. "So, it's possible that he _could_ like me. Still, even if he doesn't have feelings for me, Owen would still try to save me because he's a good guy. You don't love me, but wouldn't you try to save me if you saw me getting kidnapped?"

"Well, yeah!" Luke confessed. "But you don't understand. I would try to save you if someone was hurting you, but if someone was hurting Selena, I'd act differently. I love her with all my heart…"

Angela felt herself smiling at Luke's confession. She knew that he was in love with Selena, but he still didn't have the guts to propose. The two had been dating, but she was still oblivious of how deeply he loved her.

"If someone was attacking her, I'd freeze. I wouldn't just be angry, I'd be furious. I'd scream and curse and…I'd be distressed."

The farmer looked to the ground and giggled girlishly at the adorable statement. She nodded to herself and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke…we're not going to do this."

"What? Why not? C'mon, he'll be home any minute! We've already come so far…we can't back out now!"

"I understand your plan…and it's clever, especially for you," Angela said, watching the proud look on his face slowly darken. "This is cruel. Imagine if you thought someone took Selena and then found out it was a cruel trick to find out how you felt about her. You'd be crushed. If Owen doesn't love me…maybe he'd think it was funny…but I'd…I'd like to think that he does."

"Angela…"

"It's wrong," she decided firmly, stepping back and smiling at Luke, silently thanking him for his kindness and consideration. "It really means a lot to me that you care so much. I…really can't express how grateful I am."

Luke grew flustered and nervously scratched the back of his neck, finally agreeing with Angela.

"Y-You're right…we shouldn't do this," he realized. "I would be so furious if someone pretended to hurt Selena just to get a rise out of me. I'm sorry I suggested it…I guess it was just too extreme…"

Angela laughed and nodded. After quickly checking her watch, she decided it would be best if she started home. Luke on the other hand thought it would be better if he walked her home so that she wasn't by herself in the dark. She supposed their recent plan had made him paranoid about kidnapping, and the farmer agreed to be escorted home. The two walked back to her house cordially and Luke took her to the front door of her farmhouse. The two said goodbye and, just as Angela was about to go inside, Luke turned around and stopped her again.

"Hey, wait!"

Angela turned back around and cocked her head questioningly.

"Earlier, you said that you hoped Owen had feelings for you," he said, looking at her straight in the eyes. "Would…you like to know?"

"I don't want to invade his privacy…" she said with a sad grin. It was so tempting so agree to Luke's request, but she just couldn't. "Wait…if you're asking me about that specifically, does that mean that…he does like me?"

Luke suddenly turned red and became alarmed. He looked over his shoulder to check for Owen's presence and leaned forward.

"Why…why would you think that?" he asked in a panicked whisper.

"Because if he didn't like me, you wouldn't have asked because you know my feelings would have been hurt."

Luke and Angela must have stared at each other for minutes before Angela gold eyes welled up with happy tears. The carpenter became somewhat manic and tried to shush her muffled squeals. All his attempts were futile. Finally, Angela finally began to sob gleefully.

"Angela, quiet! You weren't supposed to know that Owen said he loved you…"

"Wait, he _loves_ me? He doesn't just like me…he _loves_ me!"

Luke slapped himself in the middle of his forehead and rushed home before he leaked any more of his friend's secrets. Angela didn't even notice that he'd left. The day before, Owen had admitted to wanting to kiss her on the beach and, if somewhat silently, declared that he at least had a crush on her. But now, apparently he had told Luke that he loved her.

_Loved._

Angela was so elated that she twirled into her house like a clumsy ballet dancer and flopped on her bed. She was far too excited to sleep, but if she didn't, she knew she'd regret it the next morning. Instead, she rolled over and clutched her pillow romantically and allowed herself to slowly drift off to sleep. Finn was at peace right beside her and, to her relief, he hadn't suspected a thing.

**-END- **

I bought Tree of Tranquility.

It's not bad, but animal Parade is better, in my opinion. I do like how Owen looks in ToT, thought. I saw him and I was like, "Damn, you're a_ fine_ man."

Anyway, R&R and I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for more coming soon!


	6. Fight onwards on day six

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon is not mine and I claim no ownership of the characters or setting!

Rating: T

Author's Note: I'm sorry for not updating! I had a small surgery (getting wisdom teeth out). I feel so guilty, but I'm going to keep trying to upload as often as I can! Please hang in there and maybe, just maybe, there will be a few more chapters! :D

(Oh, and yes, I'll go back and fix all the typos once the story is done. I miss a lot of them…I try to check, though!)

**-START-**

The next day came with a bright sun and a small breeze that made everything refreshing. The whole island was fragrant with the subtle smell of nature. All the animals awoke from a comfortable sleep and began to make noise to let their owner know they were hungry. Angela was still in bed. After an exhausting night of planning with Luke and gushing about the news of Owen liking her, she'd fallen asleep. Finn awoke at his normal time and tried to wake her. By the time that he'd finally roused her up, it was two hours later than her usual awakening. When the girl managed to form words, she begged Finn to take care of the animals so she could sleep in.

"I'm not doing it again!" the fairy said, defiantly turning his head away from the stirring lump beneath the thick comforters of her bed. "I've already taken care of your animals for days! I can only take so much!"

"Finn, please….?" Angela begged from beneath the covers, refusing to lift her face from her pillow. "I was up so late talking to Luke that I'm exhausted. Can you just give the animals some food?"

The sprite faced her with his arms crossed.

"I'm very happy about hearing that Owen likes you back," he said with a half-hearted smile that didn't last for more than a few seconds. "But I'm not going to do your chores again! The animals miss you and yesterday Renee walked past the farm while I was using your sickle to try and cut some grass. I'm pretty sure she's convinced this place is haunted now."

"Hm…" Angela hummed, sitting up and yawning. She stretched and looked tiredly at Finn. At this point, it was almost less exhausting to just do the work rather than argue with him. Also, he did have a valid point. She needed to make up for making him do her chores for so long. Wearing pink pajamas, she nodded and walked outside to face the glittering sun and shimmering ocean.

Day six rolled in without any problems.

The sky was clear and the temperature was balmy. Her animals were happy and gave her products of amazing quality after she'd fed them and petted their fur. Every time she laid her eyes on a Shining product, she felt a little weepy. Money made the world go round, and he farm was no exception. She watered and harvested merrily, even managing to get some honey from her large flower garden. What was even better was knowing that she had talked with Owen over the phone two days ago and knew that they had come to and understanding. After a few days, they could see each other. He wouldn't surprise her on her farm again when she wasn't expecting it.

They could be together by the end of the week. Until then, he'd agreed not to see her. She'd thanked him and thanked every possible deity she knew existed that he'd understood her.

After her morning chores, she got dressed happily. The girl donned a summery outfit that would make her feel as light and airy as her mood. She wore the outfit she'd arrived in when she first came to the island. A yellow shirt, red and white camisole and boots made for farming.

She sat down at a beach near her house and slowly began to drift back to sleep. She was still tired from the night before. Within seconds she was leaning against the log and sleeping soundly, dreaming of the day she'd first met the man of her dreams.

XOXOXOXOXO

Angela had only arrived a day ago and already the island had thrown a mighty obstacle at her. The bridge to the mining district was broken and she had to run around finding food for the young carpenter in order to have it fixed. Thankfully, she knocked out the task in a day and woke up to find Bo at her door. He happily stated all the repairs were completely finished.

She looked across the wooden structure with pure awe before darting across it anxiously. With Finn constantly nagging her about reaching the Goddess Spring, she raced onward with a sense of urgency she'd never felt before. She ran into the Garmon Mining District and stopped to take everything in. She even saw Finn's mouth drop at the sight. Everything was so industrial and grand that Angela felt humble in the location. It wasn't long before she'd met everyone, visited the Harvest Goddess and found out about her first problem on the island; the Red Bell.

Before she knew what was happening, she was shoved in the direction of the Garmon Mines. Everyone told her to find a guy named Owen.

The old blacksmith had told her to look for a man with red hair and a black shirt who was very tall. As soon as she walked inside the dark tomb and saw him pounding away at a mound of material stone, she knew she'd found her target. She put her arms behind her back and crept up to him daintily, smiling. He sure was a hard worker! It looked like he'd never stop swinging the hammer. With one tap on the shoulder, she got his attention.

"Hi," she said, smiling and waving at him as he turned to face her. He was sweaty and covered in different kinds of grime. She didn't mind in the slightest. After all, it was because he was working at his job, after all. "I'm Angela! I run the farm over by the ocean! Are you Owen, by any chance?"

At first, she was frightened by how angry he looked. When he heard her introduction, however, a smile dominated his visage and a wave of relief consumed her.

"Hey," he greeted, rolling his sore shoulders. "Angela, was it? I'm Owen, and I work at the smithy! It's nice to see a new face on this island! How do you do?"

"Just fine, thanks!" she said, laughing at how cheery he was. He seemed so nice. "Hey, people told me to come meet you. Are you a miner?"

"Basically," he said, scratching the back of his neck at he motioned to the mound of stone he was beating. "I get all the ores for Gramps. You met him, right? He's actually my uncle, but he's also my boss! I'm almost done with my daily quote though, so I'll be stopping soon."

"Ah," she said with a content smile, looking over what he'd gathered. It was a lot. Did he honestly gather so much in just one day? It was only a few hours into the morning. There had to be at least fifty ores before her, all from iron to expensive gold! What in the world was this man? He must have been exhausted. She remembered that she had her rucksack on her and reached inside. "Say, I have some water with me! I always carry water wherever I go when it's hot outside. I have an extra bottle. Please, take it."

She held it out to him. After turning it down politely, she insisted he take it so that he'd stay hydrated. He eventually gave in. She smiled when she saw the speed that he'd gulped it down. The poor man appeared to have been incredibly thirsty. He'd down the whole thing in a large swallow. She smiled as he thanked her amply.

"S-Sorry," he said, blushing a tad. "We got off topic. What did ya need, exactly?"

"I just wanted to meet you," she said, suddenly realizing she'd distracted him from work. She panicked and bowed apologetically. "Oh, Owen I'm so sorry! You were working and I interrupted you! I shouldn't have bothered you when you were mining…"

"It was no trouble," he said, standing and smiling at her. "You ended up helping me! That water was great. Thanks, Angela."

She felt her cheeks get warm. She nodded and was about to leave when he called to her. She turned around and saw him coming at her with a hammer. She blinked and lifted a brow, poking the foreign item. She'd never used a hammer before. Well, she'd used a small one to make repairs before, but not one specifically for mining.

"Here," he said, grinning broadly at her. "In order to expand your house, you'll need material stone and money. Mining is a really resourceful thing to for some extra cash. I just happened to have this old hammer with me. I'm not using it anymore, so please take it."

"Really?" she asked, taking it into her hand. It was heavy. She almost fell over, but Owen caught her waist. She blushed. He chuckled.

"Heavy, huh?" he asked, only letting go if her when he saw she was standing sturdily again. "You'll get used to it. Even if you don't like mining, it's always useful to have just in case you want a few ores or gems. If you have enough ore refined, you can upgrade your tools. That might interest you, considering that you're a farmer…"

She nodded and tucked it away.

"T-Thanks…" she said, not knowing what to say. "Well…I have some stuff to do. I have to go, but I'll see you later, right? This town is small, after all."

"Right," he agreed with a hearty laugh. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

XOXOXOXOXO

Angela was awoken by the sound of a crashing wave. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the sky had suddenly become cloudy and dark. The waves were creeping closer and closer inland, more than they were supposed to on a normal basis. It didn't take Angela more than a few seconds to realize that a thunderstorm was brewing. She got up and ran home just as a loud boom of thunder echoed through the previously sunny skies. With a quick peek, she saw that her animals were fine. She soared inside her farmhouse and locked the door.

"Geez," she said, looking outside at the dangerous lightening that was exploding across the sky. Finn ducked behind her shoulder. He'd stayed inside while she'd gone out to tend to the animals and was thankful she was safe indoors. While Finn was busy being thankful, Angela looked up at the sky with complete bewilderment. "It was beautiful earlier! I must have slept a long time. Thank goodness I got inside."

From her front window, she could see the top of the Garmon Mine. Just as she turned away, a peculiar flash caught her attention. It was followed by a loud boom that was much too distinct to be thunder. It sounded like splintering rock. She'd seen a bolt strike the top of the mine and create a huge hole in the side. With wide eyes, she watched the mine cave-in diagonally, taking out some upper floors.

"The mines!" she screamed, pressing her face against the glass. The top was still fine, but one side was completely destroyed. "Oh…no..."

"It looks like the avalanche fell away from the town!" the fairy told her over her shoulder. "I don't think it was damaged."

Angela was about to agree when her phone rang. Refusing to waste time, she darted across the room and pulled the received against her ear, fearing what she would hear from the other side. "H-Hello?"

The voice belonged to Ramsey.

"_Angela…" _he said, speaking in a rushed and fearful voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning white. "You sound out of breath! What happened?"

"_Angela, there's someone stuck in the mine,"_ he said, not taking a single breath the entire time he spoke. _"I hate to ask, but you're the only one outside of this district who can help!"_

"Yes, I'll come! Oh no…it's Owen, isn't it?"

"_Not Owen. Chloe."_

XOXOXOXOXO

Dozens of people gathered at the entrance of the mine only to find that it was halfway blocked by boulders. Angela could see from a distance that some people had already entered and come out, finding it too dusty to press onward. Phoebe and Calvin were sitting on the ground, both covered in grime and coughing into tissues. Angela, hammer in hand, ran to them with Finn soaring over her shoulder. The pelting rain was so cold that it felt blistering against her exposed skin. She'd run straight from her house, not even bothering to change into warmer clothes. It was too urgent of a matter for her to waste any unnecessary time.

"Guys, are you okay?" Angela asked, kneeling beside the couple. Phoebe seemed unharmed aside from being a little dirty, but Calvin had a sprawling black bruise on his arm. Angela could only assume a rock got him during the downslide and he went to protect Phoebe. "What happened?"

"We went inside to get Chloe," the girl coughed out, eyes glassy. "But she's too far in! We had to clear out before it got really bad…"

"Owen's still in there," Calvin coughed out, reaching over to wipe some duct over Phoebe's cheek. "He kept going to find Chloe!"

"Did he head to the upper or lower?" Angela asked frantically, swinging her hammer over her shoulder.

"We think the upper part, but we're not sure…"

"I'll find them," she said with a firm nod. She was doing her best to seem as brave as possible, but they could see how nervous and frightened she was. Still, Angela had no choice. Next to Owen and Ramsey, she was the most accomplished miner on the island. Ramsey was forced to stay out due to his age, which meant Angela was the last hope. Besides, she loved Owen, and she loved Chloe.

She'd die before she'd let anything bad happen to them.

Without another word, she ran inside the mine, rushing up the stairs as carefully and as quickly as possible. She flashed back to the day almost a week ago when she'd been climbing the mines, simply trying to impress Owen. Now, she was urgently rushing through those same, dizzying floors to assist him. It was like a cruel joke.

Within hours of going as fast as she could while avoiding cracks and gases, she'd cleared the first twenty floors. There was no sign on either Chloe or Owen. She didn't hear any sounds from floors above either. Frustration and exhaustion began to slowly creep up on her. She decided to take a rest on a piece of solid ground and regain a bit of strength. She would have hit the hot springs, but there was no time. Besides, they appeared to be somewhat destroyed. That made things even more difficult.

"Angela, I'll fly up a few floors and see if I can find one of them," Finn told the girl, seeing that her determination and strength were fading. The fairy soared upwards and flew through the narrow staircases, each filled with loose dust and crumbling walls. Angela took the moment to eat some food she had stored in her rucksack to regain some energy. Once she finished her quick meal, Finn flew to meet her with a somewhat elated look on his face.

"Angela! I found Owen! He's near the very top. There's a huge boulder in the way! Chloe must be on one of the top levels. It was sealed off by the cave-in."

Angela became happy. So Owen was okay, thank goodness. However, Chloe was still missing. They didn't know if she was in an open space or trapped under rubble. If they didn't hurry, she could run out of oxygen. Angela stood and followed Finn, not wasting a second. "It's almost midnight, Angela!" Finn told her. They'd been in the mines for so long that she'd lost track of time.

It was almost the seventh day.

The final day.

She broke through boulder after boulder with strength she didn't know she possessed. She flew up the next ten floors with ease because the stairs hadn't been destroyed in the disaster. She was thankful for that. Eventually, she heard the steady sound of a hammer pounding against a surface. In the hazy dark, she could barely make out the shape of a tall man, hissing and seething with pure anger and frustration. She recognized him in an instant. Before she could move, one last swing sent him hunching to the ground. A pained sound escaped him.

The temptation to cover her mouth to keep dust out of her lungs vanished in a millisecond.

"O…Owen!"

**-END-**

Wow…it just got real.

R&R if you can, and I hope you enjoyed! Flames are welcomed as long as it has to do with my writing and not the characters or game (because I didn't make those, you know…?)

See you all soon! :D


	7. It all adds up on day seven

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to anything belonging to the Harvest Moon franchise. Please only credit me for the fanfic itself!

Rating: T

Author's Note: Almost done with the main plot! Bonus chapters are up next, so stay tuned! I also have some fluffy plans, muahaha! So, please enjoy this chapter!

**-START-**

Angela dropped her hammer and ran to Owen's side. She cradled his limp head in her lap and started to cry. Then, like something from a horrible dream, her face flushed red and a pang echoed through her chest. Heart throbbing, she tried to stay composed while she cast her wary gaze over to her friend. "F-Finn…what time is it…?"

"A little after midnight!" he squealed in a panicked fashion, trying to hold back obvious tears. "A-Angela, it's the seventh day! You can't be here or else you might faint! If you faint up here now, you might run out of oxygen!"

She knew Finn was right. Now, the effects had gone beyond blushing and acting foolish. She was now in horrible danger. The fumes made it impossible to work in Owen's presence without feeling faint. In a mine, that was almost certainly fatal.

In their current situation, it was _absolutely_ fatal.

Angela had no choice but to put Owen aside and focus on getting Chloe out. She managed to put his body out of the way while retrieving her hammer from the back of the room. Angela raised the tool high above her head. Just as she was about to bring it down she felt a numbing sensation run through her entire body and bring her action to a total halt. The hammer fell from her hands and back into the dirt. For a moment, she thought she was going to faint. Finn watched her as she staggered to pick up the hammer again. When she touched it, the woman crashed to the ground and held her hands over her mouth like she was about to vomit.

"A-Angela!" he cried, rushing to her side and using his small arms to nudge her shoulder. She continued to hack and cough awfully. Finn was terrified to see that there was blood on her palm. "T-That's blood! Angela, there's blood on your hand!"

He watched her seethe in pain and realized that the effects of the fumes had done more than make her feel intoxicated and have hallucinations. They had actually made her ill. If she exerted herself in the same way Owen had, it looked as if she could die.

"We need to go get help!" Finn said, grabbing her arm and straining to pull her to the staircase. "Let's go downstairs and get Dr. Jin! He'll know what to do. You're going to get sick if we stay up here much longer!"

The oxygen towards the top of the mine was incredibly thin and, because of the cave-in, all three of them would suffocate. If Angela went to get help, it would probably be too late for Owen and Chloe. Picking up her hammer, she went towards the boulder and started pounding, knowing that breaking the boulder was their only way towards safety. Three pounds in and Angela dropped to the ground and threw up. Finn was sobbing and wailing when she stood up again, wiping her bloody mouth with a soiled glove.

"It's not worth it," the tiny sprite cried loudly. "Angela, let's go!"

"I'm not leaving!" she cried with determination. She looked at Finn over her shoulder. Her face was pale, her cheeks were red and her body was weak. Yet, on her face, she was smiling through tears. "If Owen, Chloe and I can't leave at the same time, then none of us are going to go!"

Finn watched her as she turned away and started hammering, choking and sputtering with each swing. The small fairy heaved a great sigh and saw that there was no other choice. He nodded and flew towards Angela. He may have not been a full-fledged Harvest Sprite, but Angela was like a sister to him. She was his best friend. He had to help her no matter what. "Angela, do you have any water in your rucksack?"

"W-What?"

"Water! Maybe I could use it to wake Owen up and have him help you! You can't get through this rock by yourself."

She smiled dully and remembered her first meeting with Owen. Laughing to herself, she stripped the bag from her body and sat it on the ground.

"Yeah," Angela muttered, remembering the day so vividly that she felt as if she could feel his arms around his waist again and see his smile. "I…always carry water with me."

She went back to hammering while Finn retrieved a bottle of water from her rucksack. Thankfully, she hadn't drunk all of it on her way up. Finn took the bottle over to Owen and poured the cool liquid onto his face, hoping to shock him awake. Still, he was completely motionless and showed no signs of revival. Angela was about ready to give up and go to help when she heard whimpering from the other side of the boulder. "C-Chloe?" she stammered, pressing her ear against the stone and hearing another cry. "Chloe! It's me, Angela! Are you there? Please, answer me!"

There was no reply for a few seconds. Finally, after a tiny cough, there was a response.

"A-Angela…" a weak voice came. "A-Are you r-really there…?"

It was Chloe. She was alive.

She sounded so awful. Her voice sounded like it was faded and lacked the usual peppiness others knew her for. Tears came to Angela's eyes and she pounded the rock with her fists, frustrated that she was unable to do much else. She decided the best thing to do was to keep Chloe talking. She swallowed and tried to keep her voice low and calm. Hopefully her fake cheerfulness would make the little girl feel better.

"Yep, it's me!" she cheered, wiping the corners of her mouth. "Hey, you're going to be okay, alright? How do you feel?"

"F-Fine…but it's so hard to breathe," the voice said, and panic was reignited in Angela's gaze. Just as she thought, the little girl was suffocating to death because of the lack of oxygen. That had to mean that the top of the mine was also sealed off. Their only means of escape was gone. For a quick moment, hope was so lost that Angela felt like collapsing and giving up.

But that wasn't an option. She had to keep going. Angela retrieved her hammer and kept asking the little girl as many questions as she could to try and find out her position and how much danger she was in.

"Chloe, are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, afraid of what the answer would be. To her dismay, the little girl told her that a rock had fallen on her leg and that she couldn't move. She said it didn't hurt too badly, but it wasn't possible for her to move it or lift up a hammer. The farmer felt the urge to start crying again, but knew that she couldn't let sadness win. She was an optimist. Angela knew that she could make everything okay if she tried harder. There had to be a way out. There just had to be a way for all three of them to get to safety. If there wasn't one, she'd die trying to find it.

"F-Finn, how's Owen doing?"

She looked over to see the little fairy buzzing around his face and trying to wake him by every means possible.

"I can't get him to wake up!" the sprite cried, pouring more water onto his face and into his mouth. Nothing seemed to be working. "Angela, he's completely out. There's no way that I can get him to do anything!"

"N-No!" Angela screamed, realizing the loudness of her voice too late. Chloe had already heard her scream. She knew it was too late to take back the words when she heard the little girl's frightened squeak from the other side of the rock.

"A-Angela…is O-Owen okay?" Chloe asked hesitantly, her voice almost incoherent from sobbing. Angela almost told her a lie to keep her comfortable before a horrifying wail silenced her. "Please save Owen! Even if you have to leave without me, please save him! He deserves happiness so much…all he ever did was take care of me! Please, I love him! Please get him out of here! D-Don't worry about me!"

Those words horrified Angela.

"Please save him, Angela! **PLEASE!**"

There was a rumble from within the mines. The scream had made the rocks from above unsteady. One by one, she head small parts begin to collapse. Chloe screamed from the other side and, suddenly, it fell quiet.

"Chloe! Are you still there?"

No reply came.

There had to be something that she could do. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a few rock and glass structures that had survived the storm. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. Finn watched her curiously as she ran to the other side of the room and started pounding on the stones. They didn't have any time to spare, so she went as quickly as she could from rock to rock.

"What are you doing?" Finn asked with alarm, still trying to recover. He raced over to her and got right up in the farmer's flushed face. "Chloe needs our help! Why are you wasting your strength on smashing those rocks? If we can't get to her now, she'll die!"

"I know that!" she said, managing a smile. Finn was incredibly confused until he realized her motive. "Just keep an eye on Owen! I have an idea, but I need to totally hurry up if I want it to work!"

There were many gasses in the mines. Most were harmful, but a very select few were helpful. She was looking for a structure filled with healing gas. Finn was suddenly watching her keenly as she broke open each rock, only to find nothing. Finally, she raised her hammer high and, with a frantic prayer to the Harvest Goddess she'd done everything to assist, she busted open the rock.

Green smoke erupted from within and filled the room.

Within seconds, Angela felt her nausea dissipate and her stamina return. More importantly, healing gas neutralized the effects of all the other gases. The effects of the amorous gas slowly faded, like her flushed face and mind, intoxicated impairments. Her normal state was completely restored.

Finn cheered merrily and saw the fumes flood the room and eventually wash over Owen's limp body. Both watched in anticipation and frantically hoped that her idea had worked and revived the man.

It took only a few seconds for Owen's eyes to open again.

He was incredibly weak, but he was awake enough to manage a few powerful swings. Angela screamed in joy and bent down to embrace him briefly. "O-Owen, you're awake! Oh, thank goodness!"

"Hng…" he moaned, sitting up and gasping at the pain he felt. His body was still sore from his frantic work earlier. It looked like he was in too much pain to even see straight. When he saw Angela, however, his whole face seemed to take on a new life. He got to his feet and stared at her. "A-Angela…you came all the way here?"

"Yes!" she shouted, remembering their dilemma and picking her hammer back up. "But there's no time to talk about that! Remember, Chloe is still trapped!"

Owen was surprised by her words at first. Passing out had disoriented the young man more than usual, especially considering the lack of air. Then, as if thanks to a miracle, he remembered that his little cousin's life was still in danger. Anger was manifest in his visage as he took up his tool and struck the boulder. He yelled for Angela to help him, to which she complied. The effects of the gas that had plagued her for so long were gone. It was because of that she could now pound at the rock that trapped Chloe. If she hadn't been healed, she would have still been at the mercy of a weak psychical state and unable to help Chloe. They could have died. Angela never thought she would ever say such a thing, but she silently thanked nature for the existence of fumes in mines.

"Angela!" he cried, wiping some sweat from his brow and casting a sideways glance to her. "We've got to hit this thing at the same time. If we both do it with all we've got, I'm pretty sure we can break this thing, okay? Are you…going to be okay?"

Angela nodded and did something she hadn't been able to do for a week. She turned to her friend and winked at him with her usual confidence in full bloom. Owen noticed instantly and smiled back at her. He knew she was finally better again. "Well, let's not waste any more time," he said through a hardened grin. "Let's do it!"

She nodded and stepped back, throwing the hammer over her frail shoulder and building her swing. Owen did the same until, finally, both charged towards the rock ferociously.

Both hammers collided with the colossal rock and sent it crumbling to pieces.

"It's breaking!" Finn remarked as the rock fell in jagged shards to the ground. Both adults hurried into the next room and were horrified to see the little girl buried under a sea of dust. No rocks had fallen on her, but the ceiling was starting to bulge inwardly. They dug her out quickly and removed the rock from her small leg. Owen put his hammer away scooped the small girl up in his arms in a protective manner and held her tightly. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief when he realized her heart was still beating. Chloe's leg was badly bruised and her face was dusty, but she was alive. Not wasting a second, Angela pointed to the stairs, urging them to leave as the room continued to buckle. They raced downwards so quickly that even the best sprinters couldn't have outrun them.

After running for what seemed like hours, they finally emerged from the dusty mine. The cheers of spectators were drowned out as the top levels splintered and erupted in another explosion of dirt. People fled from the falling debris which, thankfully, didn't last more than a few seconds. A few more tremors passed before everything settled down again.

Dr. Jin, having heard the news of the collapse, was right on the scene with Irene to take Chloe in the clinic for medical attention. Angela was so happy to see that she would get proper treatment and would probably recover even after her awful ordeal. Angela watched the small girl turn her head and smile lovingly at her.

"Thank you…" she mouthed out, waving to both her and Owen as she was taken away. Beside her, Owen looked down and Angela and took a long look at her. Jin also looked back at her, but didn't say anything. He could tell that she felt better simply by the way she winked at him. Hiding his glee, he whisked the girl away.

The woman didn't notice Owen was studying her and was instead talking with a very thankful Ramsey who, for once, was actually praising Owen directly. The blacksmith chuckled and claimed it was Angela who had been the most heroic. She blushed and disagreed heartily. Ramsey was impressed enough to ruffle her hair and muster a slightly enthusiastic tone.

"Angela, please stay for the night," Ramsey said, noting how weak and exhausted she was. "You can sleep in Chloe's room. I know she wouldn't mind, after what you did. I would like to thank you for everything you've done, and I don't think you're in a condition to walk home."

That was one thing the farmer could not disagree to.

"Aww, that sounds great!" she said, laughing as Ramsey showed her inside. "I really appreciate that, Ramsey. Home feels like a million miles away right now, you know?"

"I'll make you both a quick dinner, so relax. You both deserve a nice drink too!"

That sounded incredible to both of them. Neither objected and thanked the elderly man for his incredible kindness. It was almost a little frightening how nice he was being, but then again, the farmer couldn't blame him. His granddaughter was alive and well.

Owen followed and, before they went inside, he requested to talk to Angela in private. Ramsey barked at the man to not keep a lady waiting long, to which Owen replied with a flustered nod. Finn also flew off and followed Ramsey inside so that the two adults could chat alone. The door shut moments later and they were left alone on the dark step of the smithy. He didn't even have to open his mouth before Angela had started speaking. She knew exactly what was on his mind. She knew him all too well.

"Owen…I'm fine now," she said with a small blush. "That's what you were wondering, right?"

"Angela…"

"The healing gas must have cured me back there. That's why…I'm not acting…_weird _anymore. I'm normal again."

Just the memories of how bizarrely she acted made her look at her shoes in humiliation. She nervously kicked a rock and felt herself tense when she didn't hear a reply from Owen. Not looking at his face, she decided to continue on in a hushed tone, "These past few days have been awful. I was so scared of not seeing you, but when I did, I always hated myself for acting so stupidly. I couldn't help it."

"I'm glad," he chuckled, stepping a bit closer to her. He reached down and stole her small hand into his, bringing it to his lips and kissing her fingers gently. "I was starting to really miss the old you. The normal you is the one that I like the best, Angela."

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked him with a playful laugh. "After all of this, I don't deserve it. I thought you'd be so freaked out by me now that you'd be running for the hills."

"I guess I know you too well," he said, stroking her hair and wiping a smudge of dirt from under her eye. "Besides, I don't think I'd be able to live without you. If you hadn't com, I might be dead…and so would Chloe. I owe you so much."

"No you don't! Believe me, it was worth every second."

"Same here," he declared sincerely, unable to take his eyes off her. "You should be running from me! I'm an awful mess and you still look as beautiful as ever."

Angela never knew that she could blush so much until those words left him. Then she remembered what Luke had said a few days before. Angela wondered if she should bring it up. Swallowing, the farmer decided to take a risk and ask him. After all, their time along together was slowly ticking away with every second Ramsey waited inside for them. "Owen, now that I'm back to normal, I need to tell you something…"

Owen raised a brow and Angela saw him smile for a split second. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak.

"Owen, I love…"

Her sentence was cut off by him kissing her lips passionately.

The kiss lasted about a minute. Owen's hands went to her arms and he held her body against his. Angela's eyes shot open and she stood, frozen in time until he backed away. He was smiling at her so warmly that she lost the ability to form words. Instead, he finished her sentence by pressing his forehead against her and mumbling the words Angela had always wanted to hear.

"I love you, Angela."

It took her a few seconds to process his words. Finally, she looked up at him through hopeful eyes. "W-What? What did you say?"

"I love you," he repeated, now becoming nervous. "E-Even if you don't return my feelings, I still wanted to tell you. I needed…to tell you."

He backed up and scratched the back of his heck nervously. She didn't answer him for a few seconds. A deep sigh escaped him and he simply opened the door to let her inside. Just before they stepped inside, realization hit her. She closed the door in front of them and gently whacked Owen upside the head. "O-Ow!" he said, looking at her with like a kicked puppy. He rubbed his sore cheek. "What was that for?"

He has absolutely no idea, she thought with a loud giggle. She had managed to keep her secret. He lifted a brow and Angela wiped a tear from her eye. "Owen, you silly goose…you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say those words…"

He reddened and watched her smile up and him. She took another step towards him until their bodies were touching intimately.

"So…" he stammered, looking towards the ground and shutting his eyes. "So…do you…not like me back? I guess I could understand, but…"

His sentence was cut off by Angela wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a searing kiss. It was Owen's turn to be shocked and surprised. Angela pulled away briefly and, blushing sweetly, muttered against his throat, "I love you too, Owen..."

Finally, she could say those words. It was so long overdue.

That was all he needed to hear. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her lips back against his in a way that was kind, yet desperate. Apparently he'd wanted it just as much as she had. The kiss continued on in the midst of the blackness on the porch of the smithy. Angela fingers knifed through his hair and pushed her body against his, feeling how he was bending his head and tilting his head further into the kiss. His hands slowly traveled down the back of her spine and to her round bum, squeezing it tenderly to pull her further into the kiss. She moaned against his lips and pulled him closer, never wanting to be apart from him again.

They only broke apart when they heard the door creak open to see Ramey standing in the doorway. He chastised Owen for keeping a young lady out in the cold and told them food was ready. Owen listened to his uncle, but as soon as Ramsey turned his back, the young couple reached out to intertwine their fingers.

"Owen?" she asked, following him inside. "Thank you for being patient with me."

He chuckled and blushed, making sure Ramsey was turned away before her reached down to peck her temple.

"I would have waited for you forever."

For the first time, Angela felt like everything was close to being normal in her life. They'd see Chloe in the morning, but until then, all she would spend time with the man she loved.

**-END-**

The main plot is done…but what about Chloe? Is she alright?

Well, we'll see in the next chapter, won't we? R&R and I'll see you guys again soon. See you later! X3

Oh, and don't worry about Kathy. I have a plan for her, so she won't be without love for long! She's a good character and, even though I didn't involve her, we have to address her dilemma, right? Haha!


	8. A sneak attack on day eight

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the Harvest Moon franchise. Please only credit me for the fanfic itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: I'm back! Woohoo! I'm excited to get started on these bonus chapters. Depending on reviews, this can go on for as long as you guys want. I'll still upload other stories for HM, but if you guys have ideas, I love hearing them. So, are we ready for the next fun chapter? I am! :D

Please, enjoy!

**-START-**

The next day, Owen and Angela raced to the clinic via mine cart. The trip only lasted a few minutes before the wooden device approached a ring of light at the end of the tunnel. A few seconds later, the bright blue ocean was before them and the cart had slowed to a complete stop. Owen hopped out and used his strong arms to grab Angela's waist and hoist her over the edge. She landed against his chest.

Both blushed for a brief moment and looked up at each other. They laughed softly before remembering their mission. Hand in hand, the pair sprinted down the cobblestone street and eventually came to the cerulean building that Jin and Irene worked in. After a few powerful knocks on the door, said man appeared in the entryway. "She's in the back," Jin said before either one of them could speak. There was a smile on his face. "You can see her right now." Owen ran inside without hesitation to see his cousin. The doctor dodged him like a graceful bullfighter and turned to smile at Angela who'd stayed back in order to give Owen privacy with Chloe.

"Hello, Dr. Jin!" she remarked breathlessly. The sprint had robbed almost all the air from her lungs.

"You seem better," Jin remarked with a grin. Pushing on his glasses, the young man showed her through the door and to the back room. There was a curtain partition blocking her view from the entryway. Angela pushed it aside slowly to see the little redheaded girl smiling up at Owen. She was giggling at his concern, the little rascal! She probably had no idea how worried both of them had been. Chloe sat up to talk to both adults. Jin clucked his tongue in disapproval and ordered her to lie back down. "Don't get up, Chloe. I need you to rest your back. You said it ached a little while ago. If your spine is injured, we can't make it worse."

The little girl pouted and crossed her arms indignantly.

"But you said everything was fine when you did the X-ray thingy!" Chloe's voice was very soft.

"It's a precautionary measure," Jin said in a sharp tone that indicated finality on the matter. With a soft huff, Chloe reclined back and sighed deeply. Laying still must have been killing the energetic girl. Angela decided to do something to help her. After all, she knew fully well that being sick when you were little was no fun. Angela plopped down on her knees and reached over to cup Chloe's small cheek.

"Hey Chloe," Angela piped up, stealing her tiny hand into her gloved one. "Would you like some toys from your house to play with? I can run and get them if you'd like!"

The farmer's concern for his little cousin made Owen grin broadly at Angela. He would have kissed her had Jin not been a few inches away. Meanwhile, Chloe's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh, yes! Thank you Angela! Could you bring me some of my dollies? They're in my toy chest in my room. It's red with a star on top of it, so you can't miss it!"

"Of course!" Angela said merrily, standing to run out the door and head back to the smithy. Owen had intended to stay with the little girl until Jin told him he had more tests to run. The doctor said they could come see her again in around half an hour. This caused many sad faces in the room, especially Chloe. Angela waved goodbye from the doorway and walked outside.

Owen told his little cousin he had to leave. The redhead understood and nodded meekly to the larger man. "Owen, could you bring me ice-cream?"

"Sure, kiddo. What flavor?"

"Coffee, please."

"Coffee. Got it!"

Chloe sat up and kissed Owen's cheek before he left. He met his girlfriend on the porch of the clinic. Heaving a tremendous sigh, the miner put his hands in his pockets and started to walk down the steps. Angela caught his arm and followed. One look at his face told her he seemed to be frustrated. That act made her arch a brow. There was no need for him to be anxious. Chloe seemed to be in almost perfect condition. There were minor concerns about her back, but from what she understood, it was just an ache. Angela's back would have hurt if she'd been pinned under a rock for hours. "What's wrong?" she finally asked. Owen shook his head. As usual, he was going to simply smile and hide his emotions as to not trouble anyone. Angela ran before him and put her small hands on his shoulders. "That's not going to fly, mister! I'm your girlfriend now, so you have to tell me what's wrong! Please?"

The way she spoke was flirty and sweet with just a dash of mock anger. She gave him huge, wet eyes to try and persuade him. That seemed to loosen Owen up a bit.

"Well…it's just that…"

"Just what, baby?"

He turned red at the pet name and laughed. The farmer cocked her head and suddenly realized what she'd just said. Two hands shot towards her lips in utter humiliation. "S-Sorry…is that too weird?"

"No, not at all!" he told her with a smile, bending down to kiss her lips. His mind flashed back to the evening on the beach where she'd used the same name. Perhaps she hadn't been completely crazy. Then again, Owen thought she had to be a little insane to like him back. He didn't mind that at all.

"So, what were you going to say?" Angela asked again, her curiosity conquering her embarrassment.

"Honestly, I'm still a little shaken," he admitted, kicking a small pebble down the road. Angela blinked and didn't understand. She took him down to the pier. Angela told him to tell her everything while they sat and relaxed. There was no need to rush. "Chloe's fine and you're okay, but I feel like I couldn't protect you both. You were the one who helped my cousin, not me. I failed you and Chloe. It didn't really sink in until I saw her in that hospital bed. We could have actually died. It's my fault. I'm sorry that I was so weak."

He spoke with such conviction that Angela was in shock. How could he possibly think that? The woman quickly shifted against the man and embraced him tightly, almost knocking the both of them off the dock and into the water. He caught her and wrapped one thick arm around her waist.

"Angela?"

"Of course it's not your fault!" she said, pulling away ad looking at him sincerely. "If you hadn't been there, we couldn't have busted the boulder to get to Chloe. When you went up there to save her, you cleared the staircase for me when I went up. I just woke you up and helped you break the rock. The rest was you."

Owen laughed at the compliment. "Maybe you're right…but it would have been impossible without you."

"Maybe. Thank goodness I was in love with you!"

"You would have come even if you didn't love me, you little liar!" His voice was playful as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"How do you know?"

Owen smirked and pulled the woman into his lap. Squeaking with surprise, Angela stared back at him as he leaned over her. He decorated her soft lips with a loving kiss. While it was chaste, it still made her flush bright red. "I know because you are the sweetest…" he murmured as he kissed her, "Kindest, strongest and most loving person I've ever known." He nuzzled her neck and felt her body's temperature shoot up as he held her. In order to prevent her from dying of embarrassment, he moved the woman off his lap and resolved to simply hold her hand. Angela was not one to reject against modest PDA, but other passerby might be less lenient. After a couple minutes of simply watching the ocean together, they resolved to finally get Chloe's things. About fifteen minutes had passed. If they hurried back there was a good chance they could see the poor girl right after her examination. Angela was grateful she just had to get the dolls.

She had no idea how Owen was going to manage to smuggle that ice cream.

XOXOXOXOXO

Angela would have to thank Bo for fixing that mine cart. It had come in so handy traveling back and forth that she was ready to bow down to it. She had never realized how useful it was until she had to be in a hurry. They got back to the clinic in such a speedy time that Chloe's ice cream hardly melted along the way despite the intense glare of the sun.

Owen knocked on the door of the clinic. This time, Jin had a more sour expression on his face as he stood in the doorway. He quickly masked it with a smile to try and make sure Owen didn't notice. Angela picked up on the frown and was worried. Jin sent Owen to Chloe's side and pulled Angela over to another room. There was a matter he had to discuss with her privately about Chloe's condition. After taking a quick look to make sure Owen was distracted, Jin grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner.

"D-Dr. Jin?" Angela asked with wide eyes. The man had been fine when they'd left the clinic before. "What's wrong?"

"Well…" he began, pushing on his glasses. "I'm afraid I ran the tests and found out something interesting about Chloe."

"Something interesting?" Angela asked obliviously. The farmer had no idea what he was talking about and inquired further. Jin made sure Owen was busy fussing over Chloe before pulling her closer so that they could whisper. Now Angela was starting to get worried. If something had happened to Chloe, why didn't he want Owen to hear? "Dr. Jin, I'm confused. Is something wrong with Chloe? You should be discussing it with Owen!"

"There is something wrong with Chloe," he muttered after clamping a hand over her mouth to prevent her from yelling. "But I can't tell him. You have to know first. It…kind of applies to you."

Panic surged through her. "S-Something to do with me? Did I…hurt her in the mines?"

"No, you didn't hurt her."

"What's wrong with Chloe? Dr. Jin, please tell me!"

Jin tried to silence her again. However, it was too late. Owen overheard Angela's question and lifted his head slowly to see them talking near the door. He told Chloe he'd be back soon and strode towards the pair, eyes filled with concern and bewilderment. "What's wrong?" he asked, lifting a brow as he looked between Angela's alarmed face and Jin's stressed face. "Dr. Jin, are you not telling us something?"

The doctor rubbed his temples and seethed in annoyance.

"Angela, I really didn't want to talk to you in front of Owen…"

"Why not?" they asked the doctor in union. Owen's eyes became darker out of anger and fear. He didn't like when things were hidden from him. If something was wrong with his cousin, he needed to know. Angela kept one hand on Owen's shoulder and looked at Jin.

Angela cocked her head to the side and asked again, "What's wrong with Chloe? You…said it involved me. How?"

"I didn't want to embarrass you, Angela," Jin replied, still trying to find a way to tell them what was wrong. He was grimacing crazily and was blushing ever-so-slightly. Now Owen was even more intrigued. The matter involved his girlfriend and cousin, and Jin had apparently tried to hide it from him. The miner had no intention of leaving until Jin answered his questions. The doctor saw no alternative and closed his eyes in resignation. "Well…I suppose the both of you are aware of the massive amount of gasses in mines. It would appear that Chloe is suffering from the effects of one very _special _gas."

Owen lifted a brow. Angela blanched in sudden realization. So that's why Jin had said she was involved. The farmer knew where this was going. "What do you mean? Which one?" the miner asked, much to Angela's horrid dismay.

Jin opened his mouth to explain. Angela tried to stop him by giving her best distressed face. Jin shook his head at her. It was too late. She'd been too dense and now Jin had no choice but to explain the effects of the fumes or suffer Owen's very realistic wrath. "Well, Angela knows the effects very well. I'm afraid…that Chloe probably did some mining before the storm and came across fumes that your friend quite familiar with."

The woman struggled to find words as Owen offered her a clueless look. "Are you serious?" she muttered, searching his face for any trace of deceit. When none manifested, Angela felt woozy. "Oh, no…"

Owen looked between them desperately.

"Now, don't panic," Jin told her frantically as he saw the color rush from her cheeks. "Remember, you went through the same symptoms. Something will only happen to her if a special condition is met."

"Special condition?" Owen asked, knifing his fingers through his hair. "Uh…someone please tell me what's going on!"

Hazel eyes met gray eyes. Angela laughed and tried to think of the best way to explain matters to Owen. She had foolishly been hoping that embarrassing situation she'd been in would never come up again. Still, Owen deserved to know what was wrong with his cousin. Jin may have been a doctor, but she knew better than anyone what the experience was like. "Well…it's…how do I explain?"

Jin tapped her shoulder. "Angela, does Chloe…have anyone she…"

"Does she…?" Angela wondered.

"Does she what?" Owen wanted to know. "What's going on?"

Angela didn't have time to answer his question. The door of the clinic burst open at that exact moment and a young boy rushed inside. Owen pulled Angela back from the doorway and into his arms to prevent her from being trampled. The young boy had blond hair and bright eyes. "Taylor…?" Jin asked, recognizing the child as Anissa's little brother. "What are you doing here?"

Taylor didn't seem to turn the doctor's question. Instead, he headed towards Chloe's bed where the exhausted child had fallen asleep. "Chloe! Chloe!"

"Hey, you can't go back there!" Jin yelled, racing toward the back. Angela and Owen followed hastily. The doctor pointed a finger the young girl's bed and snapped in his most angry sounding voice, "She's trying to rest! Taylor, come back here!"

Again, he didn't seem to hear his sister's friend. The golden haired child bent over Chloe's face and saw that she was okay. It was only then that he showed any other emotion besides manic hysteria. Angela thought that Taylor was about the hug the sleeping girl out of relief. Taylor stayed close to her and reached down to take her hand. The redhead stirred as if she was about to awaken. "Chloe…thank goodness you're okay!" he shouted with relief, exhaling a held breath. "I just found out about what happened last night. I didn't know you were involved! I should have been there to save you."

Angela smiled and Owen blinked at the strange sight. Angela was in the middle of a sweet giggle when a thought stopped her dead. "Wait…" she realized, reaching over to frantically tap Owen's shoulder. "Hey, Owen, how close are Taylor and Chloe?"

Not understanding the context of the question, he shrugged and tried to come up with an answer. "Well…she told me a little while ago that she had a bit of a crush on him. I laughed because she's just a kid. That's all I can think of."

The little girl's eyes opened and her head slowly turned towards Taylor's. Her sleepy eyes filled with a sudden light as she sat up and beamed at the little boy. In less than a second, she threw her arms around his neck, pushing him to the ground. Her cheeks were as red as two blushing cherries. "Taylor! You came to see me! Oh, thank you so much! **I love you!**"

Jin made an alarmed grunt and Angela felt weak in the knees. She could only imagine the look on Owen's face behind her. Other than the fact that she was witnessing how stupidly she had acted mere days ago, the fact that it was Chloe was equally surprising.

Before the young girl choked Taylor in her passionate embrace, Jin pulled them apart. Chloe was scooped up by Owen and a confused Taylor was told to go home. The excuse for her behavior was that she was still on an ample amount of pain medication. Angela thought the boy seemed a little disappointed, but he also understood. He headed home moments later. An atmosphere of normality was restored to the clinic. The little girl was sleepy after her attack on Taylor and fell limp in Owen's arms. He tucked his cousin back into bed. Angela was starting to think that she'd escaped having to explain the act, but that was wrong. "Angela…" he asked, clearly finished with waiting for others to answer his questions. "What's going on?"

Both adults stared at each for a long time. Angela looked to Jin for help, but the doctor simply shook his head and went to the little girl's side. Irene was waiting for him and they pulled the curtain around the bed to give the couple some sense of privacy. Knowing she was on her own, Angela rubbed her hands together nervously and tried to paste together an explanation that made some sense. It wasn't like she'd suffered something traumatic…but it was incredibly humiliating to explain, especially to her boyfriend! "O-Okay…you're not going to believe me…"

He smiled dully.

Owen's grin brought a sense of ease to her. Swallowing, she took a deep breath. Words poured forth like a stream.

She told him everything.

She told him about what had been happening to her over the last seven days. About why she'd gone to the top of the mines, about how she'd been affected by the fumes, about why she'd been acting weird and how she had no ability to control her actions. He appeared shocked and, at some points, just as embarrassed as her during her explanation. Angela pressed on until she thought she had answered every question he might have had. When does it go away? How did Chloe come across it? Why couldn't I see you? Is that why you were acting weird? She addressed each one in great detail. By the end, Angela felt as if it were impossible to breathe. She looked to him and tried to read his visage. It was a look that was impossible to describe. Angela found herself laughing and slumped into a nearby chair, happy to have the weight off her chest.

It was just as bad as she had imagined it would be, but at least she'd told him.

"Are you…okay?" she asked with a weak smile.

He blinked free from a daze and chuckled. He lifted a massive hand to his forehead and nodded, finding a seat next to her and plopping down. "Y-Yeah…" he stammered, looking to her with clear eyes. "I had no idea. It sounds…like something so stupid and made up. I've never even heard of fumes like that before!"

"_Amorous gas _is kind of a stupid name, huh?" she agreed, crossing her legs anxiously. "I thought it was a joke too. But…"

"You were wrong?"

"You have no idea…"

They both laughed at that statement. Angela didn't expect Owen to cut off her giggle by taking her hand into his own and placing his lips upon hers. For a few minutes, his kissed silenced her completely. When they pulled away, he chuckled as she whimpered in protest and tried to pull him back. To tease her, he let his lips linger over hers before pulling away once more. "We'll finish after we leave, okay?" he whispered, kissing her cheek tenderly. Angela managed a nod through a thick blush and stood. Pretending to be angry, she made him swear to keep said promise. He offered her his best heartthrob smile and sensually whispered back, "I'll keep my promise. You deserve a _massive_ reward for telling me the truth."

Every hair on the back of her next stood up. Owen gave her a lecherous smile and tightened his grip on her hand. He only averted his gaze from Angela when the sound of Chloe yawning loudly filled the room. He was by her side in an instant to make sure she was okay.

"O-Owen…?"

"Hey there," he said with a grin, tousling the girl's hair playfully. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

The little girl was about to give a modest reply when she noticed the dolls and ice cream nearby. Glowing, she gave an enthusiastic nod and began to play as if she had forgotten she was in a hospital bed. She reached for the ice cream container and politely asked for a spoon. While Irene retrieved a plastic one from the back room, Angela stood beside Owen as leaned her head against his shoulder. Just as Finn had said before, everything had turned out okay. They'd been through a lot, and somehow, everyone was happy. It felt so unreal. Owen squeezed her lovingly and held her close.

"I love you," he told her firmly. "You know that, right?

"Of course!" Angela said with almost as much enthusiasm as Chloe. "But you could never love me more than I love you!"

She jumped up and embraced him roughly, almost sending him toppling on the ground.

Irene came back with a spoon and handed it to the girl. She accepted it thankfully and pried open the lid to the container. She peered inside and made a groaning noise.

"Owen, you meanie! This ice cream is all melted!"

**-END- **

Well, more bonus chapter to come! I hope you enjoyed my romantic crack story! It was so much fun! You'll see more in the near future!

Please have an awesome day and I'll see you all soon! Bye!


	9. It's day nine but I don't feel fine

Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing Owen x Angela (Kathy x MYSTERY PERSON)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harvest Moon franchise. Please only credit me for the fanfiction itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long! I just started college and, of course, finals are going on. I have my last the day that I'm writing this, so I'll be done soon!

Anyway, enjoy this bonus chapter. I told you'd I'd take care of sweet little Kathy. I really like her, actually.

**-START-**

"One buckwheat cocktail, one grape cocktail, two blueberry cocktails and two cheese risottos," Kathy said with a lethargic as she lowered the silver tray of food and drink onto the dining table. The three diners were none other than Owen, Angela and a famished Luke. All the food was for the carpenter and the cocktails were to be shared between the youthful couple.

"Thanks Kathy!" they all cheered at once, giving her a generous tip before they even started eating. The blond barmaid barely managed a nod before her downcast gaze returned.

"You're welcome," she muttered in a lackluster fashion, turning to leave. "Enjoy."

Owen had only taken one small sip of his drink when he noticed how sad his friend seemed to be. Granted, it was pretty late at night and the bar was packed full of drunken men, but that had never put a damper on Kathy's spirits before. She was always cheerful and upbeat no matter how dense the flow of customers was. Night after night, she served up each drink with a laugh and a grin. The very apparent sadness made Owen concerned. He briefly excused himself from the table and got up.

As Kathy headed back to the kitchen, the miner caught her hand and stopped her.

"Owen?" she asked, blinking in perplexity. The look of confusion quickly faded into one of annoyance. "Please let go of me. I have a lot of work to do."

She tugged at her hand, but Owen's iron grip was notoriously hard to break away from. Kathy knew that she would not escape unless she feed Owen's curiosity. With a sigh of surrender, she looked up at him and asked flatly, "What do you want, Owen?"

Her tone had more bite than he was used to. It was enough to make him release her wrist. Even though he had loosed his grip, she stayed put, hand planted firmly on her hip. Owen crossed his wide arms and eyed her suspiciously, not liking how differently she was acting.

"I want to know that's wrong," Owen said compassionately, "You've been one of my best friends since I came here to live with gramps after my parents died. You can tell me anything. It was true when we were kids, and it's still true now! I'm worried about you. Clearly something has you feeling down, so why haven't you told me?"

Her face colored lightly in response to his words. "It's nothing."

"If it's nothing, then why can't you look me in the eye?"

The waitress saw their conversation was attracting a bit of attention and pulled him out of the way so they could talk by the piano. Everyone looking in that direction was distracted by Selena's fluid dancing. She pulled him close and gave the man a bitter look. He was always so stubborn, even as an adult. The blond quickly checked over her shoulder before speaking to him, just to make sure nobody could hear her.

"It's just…I feel alone."

He lifted his brows and let his arms fall to his sides. That was an answer he hadn't expected from the fiery Kathy.

"Alone? But you have your dad, and Selena, and me!"

"Not _that kind_ of alone," she stammered, her entire face a shade of bright red. "It's true that I have a lot of friends who love me. And I love you guys too, so much. But…it's just that…"

Owen leaned in closer so he could make out her incoherent mumbling.

"It's just that…Luke as Selena, You have Angela…and I don't have anyone," she muttered, her emerald eyes looking down at the floor as she spoke. It was clearly a subject that was very embarrassing for her to talk about, especially in front of her childhood friend who just happened to be a male and, also, a man she'd secretly had a crush on until just recently. Although she no longer liked him in a romantic sense, it was still difficult to converse with his about such a delicate subject matter. Owen was a lot like Luke in that he was sensitive, but tended to overlook sensitive matters when it came to timidity. He was a bold personality after all.

Kathy's theory on Owen was confirmed when he blinked his eyes and said blatantly, "So, you want a boyfriend?"

A lot of people turned their heads to stare at the twosome in the corner of the bar, including Angela. Luke was too busy eating to notice. Kathy clamped her mouth over Owen's mouth and laughed off the comment until all the onlookers had lost interest and went back to drinking their cocktails. Angela was the only one still staring at the couple, her head tilted awkwardly.

Kathy was hoping she wouldn't come over, but since Owen was with her, Angela was sure to want to help in any way she could. It didn't help matters that Owen waved the farmer girl over to the piano to chat. At first, she thought it was simply because Owen figured Angela would be of more help than he could. After all, he wasn't a girl. Perhaps she should have brought the topic up with one of her female friends before the miner had caught her so off-guard.

"Hello Kathy!" Angela said cheerfully, waving to the woman enthusiastically. "Is something wrong."

Said woman opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off but a blunt Owen.

"Hey, Angela, do you know any single guys?" he said just as loudly as he had before, causing Kathy to small her food tray against his face to keep his quiet. Thankfully, the roar of intoxicated men combined with the cheers from Selena's dancing drowned out his words that time and didn't draw any unwanted attention.

Angela giggled and gave Kathy a wide smile. "Are you looking for someone to go out with? That's so cool! Good for you!"

"Don't say it like that," she said sadly as she removed her fray from the front of Owen's sore face. "T-That makes me sound pathetic and desperate!"

All the men in town already had girlfriends, except the Wizard who lived over the clinic, but he gave off a weird aura and preferred to be alone. That was fine with Kathy, considering they weren't very close. Other than him, every man in the town was either too young or too old. It was discouraging and made her feel alone and, dare she say it, unattractive.

When Kathy's self-esteem was damaged, it was serious business. It was a rarity and Angela could tell just by looking at the woman's face that she was in need of a good companion.

"Well…I don't know any single guys living in town at the moment, but my brother Kevin is coming to town soon! My cousins Kasey and Molly will also be coming for a huge family reunion. I know they'd like to meet the people in town, including you!"

"Kasey and Kevin?" Kathy asked, cocking her head slightly as Angela spoke. "I didn't know you had such a big family, Angela."

That comment made the farmer girl blush and insist otherwise. She explained her brother Kevin was interested in starting his own farm and was visiting for a few days to see if he could get some pointers on farming. If he liked it, he would buy one of the open houses in town. Molly and Kasey were simply coming for a visit, but both were also looking forward to moving into their own places. The three of them would be in Harmonica town for a few days and, due to a lack of space in Angela's house, only Kevin would be staying at her home. Kasey and Molly would be boarding at the inn, which was right above the bar. "I know they would both like you! I could introduce you to them as soon as they get here," Angela said as she took Kathy's hand, "And if they really like you, maybe that will be what makes them stay."

The flirtatious wink Angela added at the end of her sentence made Kathy blush and Owen roar with laughter.

"Would you really be okay with doing that?"

"Of course!" Angela said, playfully poking the tip of Kathy's nose. "So, I'll see you at my house in three days, okay? You can make that, right?"

Emerald eyes glittered with glee as Kathy nodded her head anxiously. "Y-Yes I can. Thank you!"

XOXOXOXOXO

While waiting for Kathy and her family members to arrive on her farm, Angela was enjoying the simplistic farming life she'd missed for seven solid days. It was a wondrous thing not having to worry about going outside or finishing her chores now that the fumes were out of her system. Even better, she and Owen could see each other as much as they wanted to without consequence.

Next to not having to worry about being embarrassed by her idiot behavior, walking inside her house to see her new boyfriend casually sleeping on her couch was the most amazing feeling in the world. Angela silently put away her tools and slowly crept up on him from behind. She extended her fingers and prepared to surprise him and tickle him. Simply the thought of making Owen laugh all while touching him made her giggle crazily. Just before she reached her destination, a certain fairy popped up behind her and declared in his loud voice, "**Angela, Angela!** Did you remember to order more animal feed? You're running low!"

Angela screamed from surprise and toppled on top of the sleeping Owen, their lips locked in a kiss right as he awoke from his slumber.

There was a silence as dense as granite.

Finn's tiny hands flew to his mouth as he gasped and soared behind the television to hide. It was partially because of fear, but mostly because he wanted to watch and see what would happen next.

Angela slowly sat up and looked at Owen's shocked face with a look of embarrassment and coy glee.

"S-Sorry," she muttered, attempting to stand again, "I just tripped. I'll get up."

Owen seized her hand and pulled her body atop his again, smirking at how she squirmed and gasped in shock at his romantic action. It made her all the more adorable to him. "Well, now. Aren't you in a feisty mood this evening? How cute, although I don't think we'd have time to do much before your family shows up…"

As Owen lifted his mouth to slowly trace her collarbone with his tongue, Angela almost squealed loud enough for the whole town to hear her cries. "I-It's not what you think!"

A knock at the door disrupted the couple. It must have been Kathy, considering the lack of peppy chatter from outside her door. The farmer scrambled to her feet and Owen grumbled in disappointment, vowing silently to take his revenge at another date.

Smoothing her hair and straightening her clothes, Angela opened the door to see Kathy before her, looking more self-conscious than usual. Her knees were knocking and her shoulders were drawn tightly against her body, as if she wanted to shrink inside her skin. "Am I early?"

"They should be here any minute," Angela reassured, inviting the barmaid inside to sit and relax.

"What happened to your collarbone?"

"I fell," Angela said seamlessly, smiling to keep herself from blushing idiotically. The miner smirked from afar and got up to get Kathy a drink. The blonde made her way inside and sat down on the coach. Owen got her a cocktail from Angela's aging pot and offered it to her. Seeing Kathy give him a smile had him feel useful. It wasn't often she was depressed, and as her best friend, cheering her up made him happy.

She had barely started to drink before a knock at the door disturbed them. Kathy almost spilled her drink in surprise. The farmer looked out the peek hole in her door and yipped in glee.

"Oh! They're here!"

**-END- **

Next chapter coming soon! So, who will win Kathy's heart in the end? Only time will tell!

Stay tuned for more! R&R, and as always, thank you so much for everything guys! :D


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